Tucson climate
Tucson (Arizona, United States) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C70 °F, and about 324 mm13 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Tucson climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1865 | 439 | 1152 | 241.0 |
| Feb | 2068 | 541 | 1254 | 210.8 |
| Mar | 2476 | 847 | 1661 | 140.6 |
| Apr | 2883 | 1152 | 2068 | 70.3 |
| May | 3492 | 1661 | 2577 | 40.2 |
| Jun | 39103 | 2272 | 3187 | 90.4 |
| Jul | 3799 | 2476 | 3187 | 823.2 |
| Aug | 3697 | 2474 | 3086 | 652.6 |
| Sep | 3494 | 2169 | 2882 | 411.6 |
| Oct | 3085 | 1458 | 2272 | 150.6 |
| Nov | 2374 | 847 | 1661 | 160.6 |
| Dec | 1864 | 439 | 1151 | 251.0 |
| Year | 39103 | 439 | 2170 | 32413 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49% | 37% | 3.6 | 10:15 |
| Feb | 46% | 39% | 4.5 | 10:00 |
| Mar | 39% | 34% | 6.0 | 11:54 |
| Apr | 30% | 27% | 7.4 | 12:56 |
| May | 24% | 22% | 8.2 | 13:48 |
| Jun | 20% | 21% | 8.3 | 14:15 |
| Jul | 45% | 56% | 6.9 | 14:04 |
| Aug | 49% | 48% | 6.5 | 13:19 |
| Sep | 46% | 30% | 5.9 | 12:19 |
| Oct | 41% | 23% | 5.1 | 11:19 |
| Nov | 42% | 30% | 3.9 | 10:27 |
| Dec | 50% | 39% | 3.2 | 10:03 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Tucson is like
The warmest month is June, with an average high of 39 °C103 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 18 °C64 °F and lows 4 °C39 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 20.1 °C36.1 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 324 mm13 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 58% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: March–June and October and November. The wettest month is July (82 mm3.2 in), the driest is May (4 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 20% in June to 50% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 21%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in August to 10 km/h (6 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 10.0 hours in December to 14.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Tucson
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February–April and October and November: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 7 mm0.3 in to 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is hot, with average highs of 39 °C103 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Tucson
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1864 to 20 °C68 °F, lows 439 to 5 °C41 °F, about 24 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2476 to 34 °C92 °F, lows 847 to 16 °C61 °F, about 9 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3697 to 39 °C103 °F, lows 2272 to 24 °C76 °F, about 52 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2374 to 34 °C94 °F, lows 847 to 21 °C69 °F, about 24 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Tucson compares
Compared with Phoenix, about 173 km to the northwest, Tucson is on average 2.4 °C4.3 °F cooler and receives 27% more precipitation (324 mm13 in vs 256 mm10 in). The difference is largest in July (4.3 °C7.7 °F cooler).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Tucson is the 20th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 199th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Ciudad Juárez (Mexico, BWh), Nogales (Mexico, BSh) and Ciudad Delicias (Mexico, BWh).
Nearby places
- Nogales 102 km · 18 °C65 °F · 359 mm14 in
- Mesa 158 km · 23 °C74 °F · 256 mm10 in
- Phoenix 173 km · 23 °C74 °F · 256 mm10 in
- Peoria 194 km · 23 °C74 °F · 193 mm7.6 in
- Hermosillo 348 km · 24 °C75 °F · 382 mm15 in
- Yuma 351 km · 23 °C74 °F · 99 mm3.9 in
- San Luis Río Colorado 362 km · 24 °C74 °F · 84 mm3.3 in
- Las Cruces 390 km · 18 °C65 °F · 240 mm9.5 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Tucson?
June is the warmest month in Tucson, with an average high of 39 °C (103 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Tucson?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (64 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (39 °F).
When does it rain the most in Tucson?
July is the wettest month with about 82 mm (3.2 in) of precipitation; May is the driest with about 4 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Tucson?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February–April and October and November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,262 m, while Tucson lies at about 759 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.3 °C5.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.