Monthly average temperatures were more than 5 °F above the 1991-2020 normal for almost all of Arizona (dark orange-red area on map). For reference, monthly average temperatures in December 2024 were more than 5 °F above normal for much of the southeastern, central, and northwestern parts of the state, and mostly 3 to 5 °F above normal elsewhere.

Area-average maximum and minimum temperatures during December 2025 were 67.4 and 40.0 °F for the Sonoita AVA, 64.8 and 36.8 °F for the Verde Valley AVA, and 67.7 and 35.1 °F for the Willcox AVA. Respective January normals are 58.3 and 31.5 °F, 57.2 and 30.0 °F, and 59.0 and 30.2 °F.

Temperature last month ranged between 77.9 and 27.3 °F at the AZMet Bonita station, 84.6 and 25.0 °F at the AZMet Elgin station, and 79.3 and 26.1 °F at the AZMet Willcox Bench station.

Monthly precipitation totals were less than 25 % of normal for much of the southeastern half of the state (dark yellow areas on map), and between 25 and 75 % of normal for much of the northwestern half (yellow and light-yellow areas on map). Some locations in extreme northwestern Arizona recorded near-normal totals (white area on map). Precipitation during December 2024 was less than 25 % of normal for all of Arizona.

Area-average precipitation totals in December 2025 were 0.34 inches for the Sonoita AVA, 0.40 inches for the Verde Valley AVA, and 0.29 inches for the Willcox AVA. Respective January normals are 1.40, 1.37, and 1.08 inches.

Total precipitation last month was 0.29, 0.22, and 0.29 inches at the AZMet Bonita, Elgin, and Willcox Bench stations, respectively.

Dig further into daily weather summaries for the AZMet Bonita and Willcox Bench stations in the Willcox AVA and the AZMet Elgin station in the Sonoita AVA.

Learn more about PRISM climate data.

Temperatures over the course of this month have a moderate increase in chances for being above the 1991-2020 normal across the northeastern two-thirds of Arizona (dark orange area on map). For the southwestern one-third, there is a slight increase in chances for above-normal temperatures (light orange and orange areas on map). Monthly average temperatures in January 2025 were 1 to 4 °F below normal for much of the state.

Area-average maximum and minimum temperatures during January 2025 were 57.1 and 26.6 °F for the Sonoita AVA, 56.8 and 26.4 °F for the Verde Valley AVA, and 57.2 and 24.0 °F for the Willcox AVA. Respective January normals are 58.7 and 31.2 °F, 58.1 and 30.6 °F, and 59.6 and 30.2 °F.

Temperature in January last year ranged between 72.3 and 14.2 °F at the AZMet Bonita station and between 73.8 and 12.4 °F at the AZMet Willcox Bench station.

Precipitation totals for this month have a slight increase in chances for being above normal across the northwestern half of the state (light aqua area on map). For the southeastern half, there are equal chances for below-, near-, or above-normal totals (white area on map). Precipitation during January 2025 was less than 25 % of normal for almost all of Arizona.

Area-average precipitation totals in January 2025 were 0.06 inches for the Sonoita AVA, 0.25 inches for the Verde Valley AVA, and 0.09 inches for the Willcox AVA. Respective January normals are 1.24, 1.45, and 1.07 inches.

Total precipitation in January last year was 0.09 and 0.00 inches at the AZMet Bonita and Willcox Bench stations, respectively.

To stay informed of long-range temperature and precipitation possibilities beyond the coverage of a standard weather forecast, check in, too, with the six-to-ten-day outlook and eight-to-fourteen-day outlook issued daily by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

After the newsletter issue last May in which we showed bud-break dates for varieties over the past 10 years from Buhl Memorial Vineyard, a request came in to combine that information with data on springtime freezing temperatures. Here, we do just that with dates and data from 2025.

Dark-gray vertical lines represent the daily temperature range from January 1 through mid-May. Month and day proceed from left to right, labelled by the horizontal axis. Lines extend from a daily maximum temperature at the top to a daily minimum temperature at the bottom. Values during these months reach below 20 °F and above 90 °F, as indicated by the vertical axis. As one expects, temperature trends upward during these months with variations in weather between warm, high-pressure conditions and cool, low-pressure conditions making for various ups and downs along the way.

Blue points mark when a daily minimum temperature is at or below 32.0 °F, a threshold depicted by the blue horizontal line. Daily minimum temperatures are below freezing almost every day in January, on 11 days in February, on nine days in March, and on two days in April. To note, days of the last three freezes last spring are March 20, April 5, and April 20. Respective minimum temperatures are 29.3, 29.1, and 31.8 °F.

Bud-break dates from last year for 45 variety blocks range from March 29 through April 24. Semi-transparent red points in the lower right of the figure denote 40 variety blocks with bud-break dates prior to the last spring freeze on April 20. Semi-transparent gray points denote five variety blocks with bud-break dates later than April 20.

Although not shown here, the average date of the last spring freeze at the AZMet Willcox Bench station in the south-central Willcox AVA is April 5 for non-leap years (April 4 for leap years), based temperature data since 2017. The earliest is March 20 in 2018 and the latest is April 20 in 2025. In addition to 2018, no variety blocks in 2019, 2021, and 2023 record bud-break dates before the last spring freeze in corresponding years. Some, but not all, variety blocks record bud-break dates before the last spring freeze in 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025.