Arizona precipitation · Precipitation in Arizona
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Precipitation in Arizona
Precipitation in Arizona
Rainfall in Arizona is primarily determined by season and elevation. In the mountainous region, that runs from the southeast to the northwest, rainfall amounts will average between 25 and 30 inches (including melted snow) annually, while the low-lying desert region averages only three or four inches annually. The high plateau region in the northeast of the state averages 10 inches of rainfall annually.
During winter months, November through March, storms occur regularly at the higher elevations in central and northern Arizona and can produce heavy snowfall. Summer months, particularly early July through mid-September, bring the monsoon season to the desert region. Monsoons are strong thunderstorms, typically lasting a short time in certain area, that produce powerful winds and brief periods of blowing dust prior to the storm's arrival. Almost all of these storms occur roughly between mid-afternoon and the middle of the night.
The average number of days with measurable rainfall per year ranges from around 70 in the northern part of the state to 15 in the desert regions. The air is usually dry and clear, with low relative humidity and a high percentage of sunshine. April, May and June usually produce the most clear days, while July and August (in lower elevations), as well as December, January and February (in higher elevations) have the cloudiest weather due to thunderstorms. Humidity, is low in comparison to other states, however it is typically higher during the monsoon season.
Despite the common perception of Arizona as a warm state, snowfall does occur annually in high altitude areas such as Flagstaff.
Average Temperature / Rainfall
| Desert (1200 ft)
|
Mountain (7000 ft)
|
|---|
| Month |
Average Low |
Average High |
Average Rainfall |
|
|
Month |
Average Low |
Average High |
Average Rainfall
|
|---|
| January |
41.2F/5.1C |
65.9F/18.8C |
0.6" |
|
|
January |
16F/-8.8C |
43F/6.1C |
2.18"
|
| February |
44.7F/7C |
70.7F/21.5C |
0.7" |
|
|
February |
19F/-7.2C |
46F/7.8C |
2.56"
|
| March |
48.8F/9.3C |
75.5F/24.2C |
0.9" |
|
|
March |
23F/-5C |
50F/10C |
2.63"
|
| April |
55.3F/12.9C |
84.5F/29.2C |
0.22" |
|
|
April |
27F/-2.8C |
58F/14.4C |
1.29"
|
| May |
63.9F/17.7C |
93.6F/34.2C |
0.1" |
|
|
May |
34F/1.1C |
68F/20C |
0.8"
|
| June |
72.9F/22.7C |
103.5F/39.7C |
0.1" |
|
|
June |
41F/5C |
79F/26.1C |
0.43"
|
| July |
81.0F/27.2C |
105.9F/41.1C |
0.9" |
|
|
July |
50F/10C |
82F/27.8C |
2.4"
|
| August |
79.2F/26.2C |
103.7F/39.8C |
1.0" |
|
|
August |
49F/9.4C |
80F/26.7C |
2.89"
|
| September |
72.8F/22.6C |
98.3F/36.8C |
0.86" |
|
|
September |
42F/9.4C |
74F/23.3C |
2.12"
|
| October |
60.8F/16C |
88.1F/31.2C |
0.7" |
|
|
October |
31F/-0.5C |
63F/17.2C |
1.93"
|
| November |
48.9F/9.4C |
74.9F/23.8C |
0.7" |
|
|
November |
22F/-5.5C |
51F/10.6C |
1.86"
|
| December |
41.8F/5.4C |
66.2F/19C |
1.0" |
|
|
December |
17F/-8.3C |
44F/6.6C |
1.83"
|
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Arizona Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.