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Tucson WeatherTucson's climate is
ideal for
Year-round outdoor activites
The mildness of Tucson weather is a top reason to live or visit the Old Pueblo.
Tucsonans and visitors enjoy hiking, mountain biking, golf, motorcycle riding, and more all year round.
Yes, the summers are hot, but our winters more make up for it! When the east coast is fighting
blizzards, we're out hiking!
Let's take a look at weather in Tucson season by season.
Spring
Starting in about late February, you can feel winter leaving and
spring warmth coming on. Leaves start to come back to trees. Those who aren't die-hard shorts wearers
can start pulling them back out again. Days get longer again!
Temperatures get up in the 80s usually,
with lots of sunny days. But a cold-snap always happens after you think the winter's gone.
In fact, in 1999 it snowed in the middle of the day on Easter (which was in April that year,
I believe.)
Photo courtesy of Jon Abbot, Creative Commons License
Summer
Summer in Tucson is hot. No getting around that. Temperatures will be
100 degrees or more for most of June, July, and August. Overnight lows are in the 80-degree range.
This is the time to spend weekend days on Mt. Lemmon. Short outdoor activities might be best
early morning or in the evening if possible. If you do go hiking or anywhere else in the summer, be
sure to have plenty of water and be aware of the signs of heat related illnesses like heat rash,
heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Summer is also time for our heat-relieving monsoon rains.
In mid-July, once we have 3 consecutive days with a dewpoint 55 or over, the monsoon officially begins!
Photo courtesy of Kinoshaman
During the monsoon season, it threatens to rain daily and will rain nearly
every day. Thing is with the monsoon storms, they can be sudden and very severe!
Our roads will flood in a matter of minutes because they aren't designed for such
rains or the drainage systems are overloaded. If you're stuck in one of these torrential
downpours, best to pull off someplace safe and sit for a few minutes.
If you do
decide to drive, watch for "road rivers" on the right side of the road that will pull your
car toward the curb.
And please do not
enter running washes, especially if barricades are up, and even if others are crossing. We have a
"Stupid Motorist Law" for people who disregard the barricades and cross flooded washes.
If you get stuck in one, you can be billed for the rescue efforts required to get you out.
It happens every year and unfortunately, lives are lost from trying to cross a flooded road.
But the upside to heavy monsoon rains is our fantastic lightning storms!
Tucson weather gives us some of the best sunsets and best lightning shows you'll ever see.
Photo courtesy of Midwinter
Fall
Fall, like spring, is relatively short lived here. Mornings cool off,
the hint of woodsmoke wafts through the night, leaves disappear.
Because most of our trees
aren't of the color-changing variety, you'll have to head to Mt. Lemmon, Oracle, Madera Canyon or
other such places to see the colors change.
Daytime temperatures are still in the 70s in November.
Overnight lows are about 50-ish.
Photo courtesy of Kinoshaman
Winter
Winter has the best of Tucson weather, in my opinion! Overnight
lows are in the 30's, it rarely freezes in the city, and daytime temps are in the 50s or 60s.
We get snow about once every 5 - 7 years. It lasts only till the sun comes out and isn't
usually more than an inch or two on the ground. In 1987 it actually snowed on Christmas Day,
giving us our only white Christmas on record!
Photo courtesy of Kinoshaman
But if you want to ski or play in the snow, go up to Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley or to
Oracle, Arizona.
Mt. Lemmon is more likely to have snow than Oracle, but Oracle might be a lot closer and easier to
get to if you don't have chains.
Most winter days are sunny and clear, but we will have several
"winter storms" which are all-day overcast and off-and-on drizzly rain. Good days for curling up in
front of the fire with a good book - if you don't have to go to work, that is.
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