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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Black Canyon City Arizona, United States

In Black Canyon City, the summers are sweltering, dry, and mostly clear and the winters are cold and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 41°F to 101°F and is rarely below 33°F or above 107°F.

Based on the beach/pool score, the best time of year to visit Black Canyon City for hot-weather activities is from early June to late September.

Climate in Black Canyon City

coolcomfortablewarmhotswelteringhotwarmcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow85%85%60%60%clearovercastprecipitation: 1.6 inprecipitation: 1.6 in0.1 in0.1 inmuggy: 9%muggy: 9%0%0%drydrybeach/pool score: 7.8beach/pool score: 7.80.20.2
Black Canyon City weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The hot season lasts for 3.6 months, from May 31 to September 17, with an average daily high temperature above 93°F. The hottest month of the year in Black Canyon City is July, with an average high of 100°F and low of 78°F.

The cool season lasts for 3.5 months, from November 19 to March 1, with an average daily high temperature below 70°F. The coldest month of the year in Black Canyon City is December, with an average low of 42°F and high of 63°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Black Canyon City

Average High and Low Temperature in Black Canyon CityhotcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°F110°F110°FDec 2662°FDec 2662°FJul 3101°FJul 3101°F41°F41°F77°F77°FMay 3193°FMay 3193°FSep 1793°FSep 1793°FMar 170°FMar 170°F67°F67°F71°F71°F48°F48°F47°F47°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 63°F67°F73°F80°F89°F98°F100°F98°F93°F83°F71°F63°F
Temp. 52°F55°F60°F67°F76°F86°F89°F87°F82°F71°F59°F51°F
Low 42°F45°F49°F55°F63°F72°F78°F77°F71°F60°F49°F42°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in Black Canyon City

Average Hourly Temperature in Black Canyon CityJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowvery coldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoolcoolwarmhotswelteringcomfortablevery coldhotcomfortable
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Ghardaïa, Algeria (6,239 miles away) and Douz, Tunisia (6,418 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to Black Canyon City (view comparison).

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In Black Canyon City, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in Black Canyon City begins around August 19 and lasts for 2.6 months, ending around November 6.

The clearest month of the year in Black Canyon City is September, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 83% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around November 6 and lasts for 9.4 months, ending around August 19.

The cloudiest month of the year in Black Canyon City is February, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 39% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Black Canyon City

Cloud Cover Categories in Black Canyon CityclearercloudiercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Sep 1885%Sep 1885%Feb 1960%Feb 1960%Nov 673%Nov 673%NowNowclearovercastmostly clearmostly cloudy
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 36%39%32%26%22%17%30%29%17%21%29%35%
Clearer 64%61%68%74%78%83%70%71%83%79%71%65%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Black Canyon City varies throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 2.2 months, from July 6 to September 14, with a greater than 14% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Black Canyon City is August, with an average of 7.9 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 9.8 months, from September 14 to July 6. The month with the fewest wet days in Black Canyon City is June, with an average of 1.1 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone in Black Canyon City is August, with an average of 7.9 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 27% on August 3.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Black Canyon City

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Black Canyon CitywetdrydryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Aug 327%Aug 327%Jun 91%Jun 91%Jul 614%Jul 614%Sep 1414%Sep 1414%NowNowrain
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 3.8d3.6d3.6d1.7d1.2d1.1d6.2d7.9d4.3d2.5d2.7d3.7d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Black Canyon City experiences some seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

The rainy period of the year lasts for 9.3 months, from July 1 to April 10, with a sliding 31-day rainfall of at least 0.5 inches. The month with the most rain in Black Canyon City is February, with an average rainfall of 1.6 inches.

The rainless period of the year lasts for 2.7 months, from April 10 to July 1. The month with the least rain in Black Canyon City is June, with an average rainfall of 0.2 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Black Canyon City

The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 1.4″1.6″1.1″0.4″0.2″0.2″1.0″1.4″1.0″0.7″0.9″1.3″

The length of the day in Black Canyon City varies significantly over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 9 hours, 53 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 14 hours, 26 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Black Canyon City

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Black Canyon CityJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 7 minMar 1912 hr, 7 minMar 1914 hr, 26 minJun 2014 hr, 26 minJun 2012 hr, 9 minSep 2212 hr, 9 minSep 229 hr, 53 minDec 219 hr, 53 minDec 21nightnightdayNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 10.2h11.0h12.0h13.1h14.0h14.4h14.2h13.4h12.3h11.3h10.4h9.9h

The earliest sunrise is at 5:16 AM on June 12, and the latest sunrise is 2 hours, 18 minutes later at 7:34 AM on January 8. The earliest sunset is at 5:18 PM on December 4, and the latest sunset is 2 hours, 25 minutes later at 7:44 PM on June 28.

Daylight saving time (DST) is not observed in Black Canyon City during 2024.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight in Black Canyon City

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight in Black Canyon CityJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMJun 125:16 AMJun 125:16 AM7:44 PMJun 287:44 PMJun 28Dec 45:18 PMDec 45:18 PM7:34 AMJan 87:34 AMJan 8daynightnightnightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunsetNowNow
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Black Canyon City

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Black Canyon CityJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM00001010101020202020303030304040405050506060700000101010102020202030303030404040505060703279NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in Black Canyon City

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The perceived humidity level in Black Canyon City, as measured by the percentage of time in which the humidity comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable, does not vary significantly over the course of the year, staying within 5% of 5% throughout.

Humidity Comfort Levels in Black Canyon City

Humidity Comfort Levels in Black Canyon CityJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Mar 130%Mar 130%Aug 39%Aug 39%drydrycomfortablecomfortablemuggymuggyhumidhumid
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d1.8d2.4d0.7d0.0d0.0d0.0d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Black Canyon City experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 9.3 months, from September 29 to July 7, with average wind speeds of more than 7.2 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Black Canyon City is April, with an average hourly wind speed of 8.2 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 2.7 months, from July 7 to September 29. The calmest month of the year in Black Canyon City is August, with an average hourly wind speed of 6.2 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Black Canyon City

Average Wind Speed in Black Canyon CitywindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mphApr 268.3 mphApr 268.3 mphAug 156.1 mphAug 156.1 mphSep 297.2 mphSep 297.2 mphJul 77.2 mphJul 77.2 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 7.67.57.78.28.18.06.86.26.97.37.47.5

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Black Canyon City varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the south for 1.4 months, from March 1 to April 13; for 2.0 months, from April 27 to June 26; and for 2.4 months, from July 22 to October 3, with a peak percentage of 39% on June 5. The wind is most often from the west for 2.0 weeks, from April 13 to April 27 and for 3.7 weeks, from June 26 to July 22, with a peak percentage of 37% on July 5. The wind is most often from the east for 4.9 months, from October 3 to March 1, with a peak percentage of 39% on January 1.

Wind Direction in Black Canyon City

Wind Direction in Black Canyon CityESWSWSEJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowwestsoutheastnorth
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Black Canyon City throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Black Canyon City for general outdoor tourist activities are from late April to mid June and from early September to late October, with a peak score in the last week of September.

Tourism Score in Black Canyon City

Tourism Score in Black Canyon Citybest timebest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810107.77.71.91.97.67.65.45.4NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Black Canyon City for hot-weather activities is from early June to late September, with a peak score in the last week of June.

Beach/Pool Score in Black Canyon City

Beach/Pool Score in Black Canyon Citybest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810107.87.80.20.27.77.77.27.2NowNow cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationbeach/pool score
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

The growing season in Black Canyon City typically lasts for 11 months (340 days), from around January 13 to around December 18, rarely starting after February 23, or ending before November 24.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Black Canyon City

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Black Canyon Citygrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%50%Jan 1350%Jan 1350%Dec 1850%Dec 1890%Feb 2390%Feb 2390%Nov 2490%Nov 24Jul 12100%Jul 12100%NowNowvery coldcoldcoolwarmhotsweltering
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms in Black Canyon City should appear around January 21, only rarely appearing before January 14 or after January 30.

Growing Degree Days in Black Canyon City

Growing Degree Days in Black Canyon CityJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F1,000°F1,000°F2,000°F2,000°F3,000°F3,000°F4,000°F4,000°F5,000°F5,000°F6,000°F6,000°F7,000°F7,000°FJan 2190°FJan 2190°FApr 16900°FApr 16900°FMay 261,800°FMay 261,800°FDec 316,934°FDec 316,934°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 2.8 months, from April 21 to July 14, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 7.5 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Black Canyon City is June, with an average of 8.5 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 3.2 months, from November 4 to February 10, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 4.2 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Black Canyon City is December, with an average of 3.1 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Black Canyon City

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Black Canyon CitybrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWh10 kWh10 kWhJun 128.6 kWhJun 128.6 kWhDec 233.0 kWhDec 233.0 kWhApr 217.5 kWhApr 217.5 kWhNov 44.2 kWhNov 44.2 kWhFeb 104.2 kWhFeb 104.2 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 3.44.45.87.38.18.57.56.76.25.03.83.1

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Black Canyon City are 34.071 deg latitude, -112.151 deg longitude, and 1,975 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Black Canyon City contains very significant variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 958 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 2,150 feet. Within 10 miles contains very significant variations in elevation (5,056 feet). Within 50 miles also contains extreme variations in elevation (7,060 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Black Canyon City is covered by shrubs (100%), within 10 miles by shrubs (98%), and within 50 miles by shrubs (82%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Black Canyon City, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There are 4 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Black Canyon City.

For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Black Canyon City according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

The estimated value at Black Canyon City is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Black Canyon City and a given station.

The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:

To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Black Canyon City and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.