Tempe, Arizona Weather
Thunder finally silent. Day 93 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Tempe weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
Conditions updated 7:23 AM MST · Open-Meteo
- TodaySep 21Clear later——101°79°—
- TuesdaySep 22Clear——97°73°-4°
- WednesdaySep 23Light Drizzle——94°80°-3°
- ThursdaySep 24Drizzle25%—98°82°+4°
- FridaySep 25Drizzle——97°80°-1°
- SaturdaySep 26Partly Cloudy——100°87°+3°
- SundaySep 27Light Drizzle13%—95°83°-5°
Air quality now AQI 50 · Good
AQI 50 (Good), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 6.2 µg/m³, PM10 at 16.5 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 6.2 µg/m³, PM10 at 16.5 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.38
- Wind
- calm
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- background
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
September dries up ditches or breaks down bridges.
- Moonrise
- 3:45 PM
- Moonset
- 1:12 AM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Thunder finally silent
Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
All 72 microseasons on the year wheel →
Tempe at a glance
- Today vs. normal: Today averages 90°F (high 101°F, low 79°F), 7°F above the 83°F normal for Sep 21
- Last frost: February 13 (1991–2020 median, NOAA station 4 km away)
- Microseason: Sep 21–25
- Planting calendar: September — plant beans, squash, fall brassicas, carrots; harvest summer squash, winter squash
16-Day Forecast — Tempe
- Mon101°79°2%
- Tue97°73°9%
- Wed94°80°6%
- Thu98°82°25%
- Fri97°80°9%
- Sat100°87°4%
- Sun95°83°13%
- Mon97°82°22%
- Tue99°87°12%
- Wed101°87°10%
- Thu104°89°6%
- Fri102°89°14%
- Sat99°90°11%
- Sun99°86°10%
- Mon96°79°16%
- Tue90°80°3%
Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Live wind & temperature near Tempe
Interactive wind and temperature map centered on Tempe — it loads in your browser. Open the full weather map.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of September 21, the growing season is at its peak — the first frost (around December 5) is weeks away. Fall transplants go in about 10–12 weeks before the first frost, September 12 to September 26 here. This city's planting calendar for September: plant beans, squash, fall brassicas, and carrots; harvest summer squash and winter squash.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Tempe
SPC includes Tempe in the general thunderstorm area today — no severe risk, but storms are possible.
- TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook.
Sun & seasons in Tempe
Tempe sits in Maricopa County, where the year’s longest day runs 14h 22m of daylight and its shortest just 9h 56m — a swing of +4h 26m between the June and December solstices.
Phoenix, the state’s largest city, lies about 16 miles to the NW. The nearest town Tempe tracks is Chandler, roughly 9 miles to the SSE.
Air quality in Tempe
Air quality in Tempe’s county has trended cleaner since 2020; its cleanest year on record was 2023 (median AQI 72). See the full air-quality history for Tempe.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| February | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | radishes |
| March | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes |
| April | tomatoes, squash | lettuce, peas, spinach |
| May | squash | beans, summer squash, garlic |
| June | squash | tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, winter squash |
| July | squash | summer squash, winter squash |
| August | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | summer squash, winter squash |
| September | beans, squash, fall brassicas, carrots | summer squash, winter squash |
| October | garlic (overwinter) | beans, summer squash, winter squash |
| November | garlic (overwinter) | tomatoes, peppers, beans, summer squash, winter squash, fall brassicas, carrots |
| December | — | fall brassicas, carrots |
A year in weather
The year in Tempe tops out in July (~92°F) and dips lowest in December (~49°F), with August wettest at 1.7 inches and June driest at 0.0 inches.
| Month | Mean temp | Precip |
|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 0.9″ |
| February | 54° | 1.1″ |
| March | 60° | 1.1″ |
| April | 70° | 0.3″ |
| May | 80° | 0.0″ |
| June | 89° | 0.0″ |
| July | 92° | 0.8″ |
| August | 89° | 1.7″ |
| September | 85° | 0.8″ |
| October | 73° | 0.4″ |
| November | 59° | 0.8″ |
| December | 49° | 1.4″ |
Regional context
Similar climates Guadalupe, AZ, Chandler, AZ, Paradise Valley, AZ
Drawing on modelled 1991-2020 normals (EC_Earth3P_HR model via Open-Meteo), Tempe's January averages 50°F and July 92°F — 42°F apart — while precipitation totals roughly 9.3 inches.
Tempe gets its most rain in August, 1.7 inches, and its least in June, 0.0 inches, though November through March is wetter overall than May through September. For a nearby comparison to Tempe, look at places like Guadalupe, AZ, Chandler, AZ and Paradise Valley, AZ.
The cool-season window in Tempe starts at February 13, when nights stop freezing — think lettuce, chard, arugula, and mustard greens. In Tempe, warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, basil — wait two weeks past Tempe's frost date. Around December 5, freezing nights resume in Tempe and tender crops must come in. Sheltered Tempe yards can escape a light frost.
Similar climates: Guadalupe, AZ, Chandler, AZ, Paradise Valley, AZ, Gilbert, AZ, Sun Lakes, AZ.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Tempe?
- Frost typically leaves Tempe by February 13 and returns to Tempe near December 5.
- What is the rainy season in Tempe?
- Rainfall in Tempe peaks in August near 1.7 inches, out of about 9 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Tempe?
- The warmest stretch in Tempe comes in July, around 92°F on average.
- What is the coldest month in Tempe?
- On average December is the chilliest month in Tempe, about 49°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Tempe?
- Frost-hardy sowings begin at February 13 in Tempe; warm-season starts follow two weeks on.
- What hardiness zone is Tempe?
- Tempe sits in the USDA zone set by December lows near 49°F; the USDA ZIP tool gives the band.
- What is the 10-day forecast for Tempe?
- Tempe's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
- Will it rain this week in Tempe?
- See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Tempe in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
- What is the weather like right now in Tempe?
- Current conditions for Tempe and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
- How often is the Tempe forecast updated?
- The Tempe forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
- When are sunrise and sunset in Tempe?
- Today's sunrise and sunset times for Tempe are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
- How accurate is the weather forecast for Tempe?
- The next few days in Tempe's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.
Tempe sits at 33.4°N; its climate zone is hot desert (Köppen approximation).
ZIP codes in Tempe
- 85280
- 85281
- 85282
- 85283
- 85284
- 85285
- 85287
- 85288