Flagstaff, AZ Climate & Monthly Averages

Flagstaff has a semi-arid climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 83° by day; January is the coldest at 40°.

Arizona, United States 🇺🇸 · semi-arid climate
Annual avg
51°
Hottest month
July
Coldest month
January
Rainy days / yr
78
Sunshine
11.0 h/day

Winter sets the pace in Flagstaff

Seasons are the whole story in Flagstaff. The gap between an average July and an average January is 22°C - big day-to-night temperature swings and modest rainfall - which in practice means 83°F (29°C) afternoons at one end of the calendar and 40°F (5°C) at the other.

Warm end

July

83° by day 60° at night
Cold end

January

40° by day 23° at night

The cold-weather pattern in numbers

At its warmest, in July, Flagstaff runs to 83°F (29°C) in the afternoon and back to 60°F (16°C) by dawn. January bottoms out at 40°F (5°C) in daylight, 23°F (-5°C) after dark. The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 96°F (36°C) and bottoms at -4°F (-20°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records. Precipitation concentrates in July - 2.6 inches (66 mm) on 12 days - and thins out by June.

Three of the twelve months pair mild highs with fewer than twelve wet days; the longest unbroken run is August through September. Relative humidity averages 48% across the year, drier than all but 5% of the 3496 cities in our dataset.

More climate facts for Flagstaff
  • Hottest month: July - highs near 83°F (29°C)
  • Coldest month: January - highs near 40°F (5°C)
  • Decade extremes (2015-2024): 96°F (36°C) high · -4°F (-20°C) low
  • Wettest month: July (12 rainy days) · Sunniest: June (13.7 h sun/day)
  • Climate type: semi-arid
  • Annual swing: 22°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 12°C
  • Snow: about 23 days a year
  • Months with freezing average lows: 4
  • Average humidity: 48%

From snow season to the warmest stretch in Flagstaff

Spring (March through May)

Spring in Flagstaff stays on the cool side of mild, with daytime highs averaging 59°F (15°C) and nights around 36°F (2°C); rain comes on about 18 days over the three months, plus about 7 snowy days. Daylight is generous - around 11.9 hours of sun a day.

Summer (June through August)

Summer in Flagstaff sits firmly in the heat, with daytime highs averaging 82°F (28°C) and nights around 58°F (15°C); expect showers on roughly 26 days across the season. Daylight is generous - around 12.8 hours of sun a day.

Fall (September through November)

Fall in Flagstaff is mild, with daytime highs averaging 64°F (18°C) and nights around 43°F (6°C); rain comes on about 15 days over the three months, plus about 3 snowy days. Daylight is generous - around 10.5 hours of sun a day.

Winter (December through February)

Winter is brisk and cold here - highs near 43°F (6°C), nights near 24°F (-4°C), and expect showers on roughly 19 days across the season, plus about 13 snowy days.

The coldest and warmest values in the dataset

Highest daily value
96°
in July
Lowest daily value
-4°
in December
Annual precipitation
18.4"
Snowy days / yr
23

Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.

Planning around winter in Flagstaff

The easier weather window

The best time to visit Flagstaff is generally April to June and September to October, when temperatures sit either side of the peak heat rather than in it. Daytime temperatures in that window sit near 70°F (21°C), with rain on about 5 days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in April.

Cold-weather packing

Pack for Flagstaff with light clothing for the warm months, a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter and rain gear if you travel around July. Note the gap between afternoon and night: July pairs 83°F (29°C) with 60°F (16°C).

Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change

Monthly averages for Flagstaff based on 2015–2024 weather data. Daylight is sunrise to sunset on the 15th; wet-day chance is the share of days with measurable rain.
MonthHighLow Rain daysPrecipitation SunshineDaylightWet-day chanceHumidity
January 40° 23° 8 2.0 in 8.4 h/day 10.0 h 25% 66%
February 44° 25° 6 1.9 in 9.7 h/day 10.9 h 20% 58%
March 49° 29° 8 2.1 in 10.5 h/day 11.9 h 25% 57%
April 61° 36° 4 0.6 in 12.4 h/day 13.0 h 13% 39%
May 68° 43° 6 1.2 in 12.9 h/day 14.0 h 20% 36%
June 81° 56° 3 0.6 in 13.7 h/day 14.5 h 11% 27%
July 83° 60° 12 2.6 in 12.5 h/day 14.3 h 38% 43%
August 80° 58° 11 2.4 in 12.2 h/day 13.5 h 36% 50%
September 75° 53° 6 1.3 in 11.6 h/day 12.3 h 21% 45%
October 64° 43° 6 1.2 in 10.5 h/day 11.2 h 18% 47%
November 52° 33° 3 1.1 in 9.4 h/day 10.3 h 11% 49%
December 43° 26° 5 1.4 in 8.3 h/day 9.8 h 17% 56%

The route from winter to summer, month by month

Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Flagstaff's coldest night and warmest afternoon.

January

Coldest
40°23°
Rain
8 days
Sunshine
8.4 h
Daylight
10.0 h
Snow
5 days

February

44°25°
Rain
6 days
Sunshine
9.7 h
Daylight
10.9 h
Snow
4 days

March

49°29°
Rain
8 days
Sunshine
10.5 h
Daylight
11.9 h
Snow
5 days

April

61°36°
Rain
4 days
Sunshine
12.4 h
Daylight
13.0 h
Snow
1 day

May

68°43°
Rain
6 days
Sunshine
12.9 h
Daylight
14.0 h
Snow
1 day

June

DriestSunniest
81°56°
Rain
3 days
Sunshine
13.7 h
Daylight
14.5 h

July

HottestWettest
83°60°
Rain
12 days
Sunshine
12.5 h
Daylight
14.3 h

August

80°58°
Rain
11 days
Sunshine
12.2 h
Daylight
13.5 h

September

75°53°
Rain
6 days
Sunshine
11.6 h
Daylight
12.3 h

October

64°43°
Rain
6 days
Sunshine
10.5 h
Daylight
11.2 h

November

52°33°
Rain
3 days
Sunshine
9.4 h
Daylight
10.3 h
Snow
2 days

December

43°26°
Rain
5 days
Sunshine
8.3 h
Daylight
9.8 h
Snow
3 days

Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Flagstaff's coolest part of the year: January, December, February.

Where Flagstaff sits among other climates

  • The city sees 11.0 hours of sunshine on an average day - sunnier than 95% of the 3496 cities we track.
  • Afternoons run 12°C above the following night - a bigger day-to-night gap than 89% of the 3496 cities we track.

These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.

Practical questions about Flagstaff's cold climate

Are nights cold in Flagstaff?
By about 12°C on an average day - a wider day-to-night gap than most of the 3496 cities we track. In July that means 83°F (29°C) down to 60°F (16°C).
How many rainy days does Flagstaff get in a year?
About 78 days bring measurable precipitation, totalling 18.4 inches (467 mm). That works out at roughly 6.0 mm on an average wet day.
Is Flagstaff humid?
Relative humidity averages 48% across the year, which reads as dry. The most comfortable stretch falls in the drier half of the year.
How cold does Flagstaff get in winter?
January nights average 23°F (-5°C). Frost and occasional ice are part of the season.
Does it freeze in Flagstaff?
Average overnight lows sit at or below 0°C in 4 months of the year, December through March.