Climate - Phoenix (Arizona)

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In Phoenix, the capital and the largest city of Arizona, and in the nearby town of Scottsdale, the climate is subtropical desert, 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 Sonoran Desert, which is affected by the North American monsoon.
The average temperature ranges between 13 °C (55 °F) in December to 35 °C (95 °F) in July. Here are the average temperatures.

In the United States, Phoenix is renowned for being a very hot city: in fact, it is the hottest of the big American cities. In one year, there are 169 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 19% in June, to 31% in July, to 36% in August and September.
Although winter is generally pleasantly mild, it can sometimes get a little cold, 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.
A bit of wind 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.



Precipitation is definitely scarce, since it amounts to just 200 millimeters (8 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. Here is the average rainfall.

The amount of sunshine 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. Here is the average of the sunshine hours per day.

When to go

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.