Tucson, AZ Climate & Monthly Averages
Tucson has a semi-arid climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 100° by day; January is the coldest at 64°.
Tucson's climate runs on sunshine and sparse rain
Weather in Tucson follows a semi-arid pattern. The warmest and coolest months, July and January, average 100°F (38°C) and 64°F (18°C) by day; nights in those months run 78°F (26°C) and 41°F (5°C).
What the dry climate changes
Warmth peaks in July: highs of 100°F (38°C), lows of 78°F (26°C). January bottoms out at 64°F (18°C) in daylight, 41°F (5°C) after dark. Snowfall is rare but not unheard of.
5 months average under 20 mm of rain, the longest unbroken stretch running April through June. Average highs hold at or above 30°C for 6 months of the year, May through October being the unbroken run. Four of the twelve months pair mild highs with fewer than twelve wet days; the longest unbroken run is February through March.
The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 113°F (45°C) and bottoms at 26°F (-3°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records.
More climate facts for Tucson
- Hottest month: July - highs near 100°F (38°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 64°F (18°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 113°F (45°C) high · 26°F (-3°C) low
- Wettest month: July (8 rainy days) · Sunniest: May (12.9 h sun/day)
- Climate type: semi-arid
- Annual swing: 21°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 14°C
- Snow: about 1 days a year
- Months averaging 30°C or hotter: 6
- Average humidity: 36%
Heat, cold and scarce precipitation in the dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
When the dry weather is easiest to use
Avoiding the hardest heat or cold
The best time to visit Tucson is generally November to April, when temperatures sit either side of the peak heat rather than in it. Daytime temperatures in that window sit near 72°F (22°C), with rain on about 4 days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in November.
Prepare for sun and cooler nights
Pack for Tucson with lightweight, breathable clothing and serious sun protection. Note the gap between afternoon and night: July pairs 100°F (38°C) with 78°F (26°C).
Monthly heat and rainfall table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 41° | 5 | 1.8 in | 9.0 h/day | 10.3 h | 17% | 53% |
| February | 68° | 43° | 4 | 1.4 in | 9.8 h/day | 11.0 h | 16% | 44% |
| March | 75° | 49° | 4 | 1.2 in | 10.6 h/day | 11.9 h | 12% | 36% |
| April | 84° | 56° | 1 | 0.2 in | 12.5 h/day | 12.9 h | 4% | 22% |
| May | 91° | 63° | 1 | 0.1 in | 12.9 h/day | 13.8 h | 3% | 20% |
| June | 101° | 74° | 2 | 0.3 in | 12.9 h/day | 14.2 h | 5% | 20% |
| July | 100° | 78° | 8 | 2.0 in | 11.8 h/day | 14.1 h | 24% | 39% |
| August | 98° | 76° | 6 | 1.6 in | 11.9 h/day | 13.3 h | 19% | 44% |
| September | 94° | 71° | 5 | 1.9 in | 11.3 h/day | 12.3 h | 15% | 40% |
| October | 87° | 61° | 3 | 0.6 in | 10.7 h/day | 11.3 h | 9% | 34% |
| November | 75° | 50° | 3 | 0.7 in | 9.5 h/day | 10.5 h | 9% | 38% |
| December | 66° | 43° | 5 | 1.4 in | 8.7 h/day | 10.0 h | 15% | 48% |
How daytime heat and cool nights change by month
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Tucson's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 9.0 h
- Daylight
- 10.3 h
February
- Rain
- 4 days
- Sunshine
- 9.8 h
- Daylight
- 11.0 h
March
- Rain
- 4 days
- Sunshine
- 10.6 h
- Daylight
- 11.9 h
April
- Rain
- 1 day
- Sunshine
- 12.5 h
- Daylight
- 12.9 h
May
- Rain
- 1 day
- Sunshine
- 12.9 h
- Daylight
- 13.8 h
June
- Rain
- 2 days
- Sunshine
- 12.9 h
- Daylight
- 14.2 h
July
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 11.8 h
- Daylight
- 14.1 h
August
- Rain
- 6 days
- Sunshine
- 11.9 h
- Daylight
- 13.3 h
September
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 11.3 h
- Daylight
- 12.3 h
October
- Rain
- 3 days
- Sunshine
- 10.7 h
- Daylight
- 11.3 h
November
- Rain
- 3 days
- Sunshine
- 9.5 h
- Daylight
- 10.5 h
December
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 8.7 h
- Daylight
- 10.0 h
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Tucson's coolest part of the year: January, December, February.
Heat and cold across the Tucson year
Spring (March through May)
Through spring, Tucson brings hot afternoons: 83°F (28°C) by day, 56°F (13°C) after dark, and precipitation is sparse, near 1.5 inches (38 mm) for the season. Daylight is generous - around 12.0 hours of sun a day.
Summer (June through August)
Through summer, Tucson runs at full heat: 100°F (38°C) by day, 76°F (25°C) after dark, and rain comes on about 15 days over the three months. Daylight is generous - around 12.2 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Fall in Tucson is hot, with daytime highs averaging 85°F (30°C) and nights around 61°F (16°C); rain comes on about 10 days over the three months. Daylight is generous - around 10.5 hours of sun a day.
Winter (December through February)
Winter in Tucson stays on the cool side of mild, with daytime highs averaging 66°F (19°C) and nights around 42°F (6°C); rain comes on about 14 days over the three months.
How unusual is Tucson?
- Afternoons run 14°C above the following night - a bigger day-to-night gap than any other city in our 3496-city dataset.
- Relative humidity averages 36% - drier than almost every other city we track.
- The city sees 11.0 hours of sunshine on an average day - sunnier than 95% of the 3496 cities we track.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.