In Phoenix, the capital and the largest city of Arizona, and in the nearby town of Scottsdale, the climate is
, very mild in winter and very hot in summer. The city is located at the 33rd parallel, 350 meters (1,150 feet) above sea level, and 250 km (155 miles) away from the Gulf of California, from where humid air masses can arrive in summer, which can bring some rain: we are in fact in the area of the
of the coldest month (December) is of 13.2 °C (55.8 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 35.3 °C (95.5 °F).
: in fact, it is the hottest of the big American cities. In one year, there are 173 days with more than 32 °C (89.5 °F), but above all, the temperatures can exceed 40 °C (104 °F) with a certain ease from May to September, and practically every year, 45 °C (113 °F) are exceeded on the hottest days. In June 1990, 50 °C (122 °F) were reached.
Moreover, while in June it's still dry, by July the humidity increases slightly, aggravating the sensation of heat. In fact, the average humidity goes from 16% in June, to 27% in July, to 32% in August.
, and there can be days with lows around freezing, or even slightly below, and highs of around 10 °C (50 °F).
In recent decades, the record is -3.5 °C (25.5 °F), recorded in December 1978. More recently, the temperature dropped to -3 °C (26.5 °F) in December 1990 and to -1.5 °C (29 °F) in January 2013.
Snow in Phoenix is very rare, although light snowfall is observed occasionally, typically without accumulation.
can blow all year round, but especially in spring, when clashes between air masses are more frequent, and still more in summer, when even sandstorms can occur.
is definitely scarce, since it amounts to just 185 millimeters (7.2 inches) per year. The wettest periods are December-March, when disturbances may pass, and July-August, when, as mentioned, humid air can come from the Gulf of California and can trigger thunderstorms. The driest period is from April to June, when it rains very rarely.
in Phoenix is excellent all year round: the sky is almost always clear, and with 3,870 sunshine hours per year, it is one of the sunniest cities in the world. The sunniest period is the driest, from April to June, when the sun shines 90% of the time or more.
The best time to visit Phoenix is from November to March. Winter, from December to February, is generally a mild and sunny season, although it can sometimes rain, or it can get a bit cold (especially in December and January). You can therefore choose the months of March and November.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
13.8 °C, with a minimum of
7.8 °C and a maximum of
19.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
-2 °C in January 2007.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
25.5 °C. However, it reached
30 °C in January 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
20 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 8.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 81% of the time.
The average humidity is 43%.
The average wind speed is of
7.8 kph.
February is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.5 °C, with a minimum of
9.4 °C and a maximum of
21.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-1.1 °C in February 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
28 °C. However, it reached
32.2 °C in February 2016.
Precipitation amounts to
20 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 84% of the time.
The average humidity is 40%.
The average wind speed is of
8.9 kph.
March is generally a warm month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
19.1 °C, with a minimum of
12.5 °C and a maximum of
25.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
6.5 °C. However, it dropped to
3.3 °C in March 2002.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32.5 °C. However, it reached
37.2 °C in March 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
20 mm, distributed over 3 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 86% of the time.
The average humidity is 33%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
10.1 kph.
April is generally a warm to hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
22.9 °C, with a minimum of
16 °C and a maximum of
29.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10 °C. However, it dropped to
4 °C in April 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
37 °C. However, it reached
40.6 °C in April 1992.
Precipitation amounts to only
5 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 12 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 90% of the time.
The average humidity is 23%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
11.5 kph.
May is generally a very hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
27.8 °C, with a minimum of
20.8 °C and a maximum of
34.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
14.5 °C. However, it dropped to
10 °C in May 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
41 °C. However, it reached
44.4 °C in May 2020.
Precipitation amounts to only
5 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 13 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 93% of the time.
The average humidity is 19%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
11.6 kph.
June is generally a scorchingly hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
33 °C, with a minimum of
25.9 °C and a maximum of
40.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
20.5 °C. However, it dropped to
15.6 °C in June 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
45 °C. However, it reached
48.3 °C in June 2013.
Precipitation amounts to only
0 mm, so on average it never rains in the whole month.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 20 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 13.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 95% of the time.
The average humidity is 16%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
11.3 kph.
July, the hottest month of the year, is generally a scorchingly hot month. The average temperature is of
35.3 °C, with a minimum of
29.2 °C and a maximum of
41.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
23.5 °C. However, it dropped to
21 °C in July 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
46 °C. However, it reached
49.4 °C in July 1995.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 5 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 12 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 87% of the time.
The average humidity is 27%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
11.9 kph.
August is generally a scorchingly hot month. The average temperature is of
34.6 °C, with a minimum of
28.7 °C and a maximum of
40.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
23.5 °C. However, it dropped to
18 °C in August 2008.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
45 °C. However, it reached
47.2 °C in August 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 11.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 87% of the time.
The average humidity is 32%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
11 kph.
September is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
31.8 °C, with a minimum of
25.6 °C and a maximum of
38 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
20 °C. However, it dropped to
16.7 °C in September 2016.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
43 °C. However, it reached
45.6 °C in September 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
15 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 11 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 89% of the time.
The average humidity is 30%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
10.1 kph.
October is generally a warm to hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
25.2 °C, with a minimum of
18.7 °C and a maximum of
31.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
12 °C. However, it dropped to
6.1 °C in October 2019.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
38 °C. However, it reached
41.1 °C in October 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
15 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 10 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 88% of the time.
The average humidity is 29%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
9 kph.
November is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
18.4 °C, with a minimum of
12.1 °C and a maximum of
24.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
1.7 °C in November 1994.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
36.7 °C in November 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
15 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 8.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 82% of the time.
The average humidity is 35%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
8 kph.
December, the coldest month of the year, is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
13.2 °C, with a minimum of
7.4 °C and a maximum of
19 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
0 °C in December 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
25.5 °C. However, it reached
28.9 °C in December 2017.
Precipitation amounts to
20 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 0 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 79% of the time.
The average humidity is 44%.
The average wind speed is of
7.6 kph.