Sanders, AZ climate
Sanders has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sanders feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sanders weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 18° | 1.0" | 0.8" | 3 | 0 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 51° | 21° | 0.8" | 0.7" | 2 | 0 | 32° – 42° |
| March | 60° | 26° | 0.8" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| April | 67° | 31° | 0.4" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| May | 76° | 39° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 87° | 47° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 89° | 56° | 1.4" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 87° | 55° | 1.5" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| September | 81° | 48° | 1.1" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 70° | 35° | 0.9" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 57° | 25° | 0.7" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 46° | 17° | 0.8" | 1.1" | 2 | 0 | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 35° | 9.7" | 3.6" | 30 | 1 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Sanders
Sanders gets 10 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 30 days a year.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first one by October 8. That leaves about 138 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 90% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sanders
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sanders, 89% of that work is heating and 11% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Sanders compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Sanders averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°). The shift is larger than in 64% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sanders’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 25° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Sanders’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sanders?
December, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Sanders?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 56°. About 52 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Sanders get?
About 4 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Sanders?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 8, and the last spring frost by May 22.
What is the rainiest month in Sanders?
August, with 1.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 10 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sanders itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Sanders, AZ (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.