Congress, Arizona Weather
Heat hardens the dust. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Congress weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Clear——99°73°—
- FridayJun 5Clear——98°73°-1°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——95°70°-3°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——92°70°-3°
- MondayJun 8Overcast——92°67°0°
- TuesdayJun 9Partly Cloudy——96°68°+4°
- WednesdayJun 10Mostly Clear——93°69°-3°
Ozone at AQI 36 now. AQI down 7 over the last 6 hours (steady decline since this morning). With UV 3.3 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 16 by mid-afternoon.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 36 now. With UV 3.3 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 16 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 36
- UV peak
- 3.3 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 16
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).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 5:45 AM
- Moonset
- 3:54 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Heat hardens the dust
Congress at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 5°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: March 12 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | — |
| May | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Congress's warmest month is July (~88°F mean) and its coldest is December (~49°F). Rainfall peaks in August (2.0 inches) and bottoms out in June (0.1 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 1.2″ | 3 |
| February | 52° | 1.6″ | 3 |
| March | 58° | 1.0″ | 2 |
| April | 64° | 0.3″ | 1 |
| May | 72° | 0.2″ | 0 |
| June | 81° | 0.1″ | 0 |
| July | 88° | 1.1″ | 2 |
| August | 87° | 2.0″ | 3 |
| September | 80° | 1.0″ | 2 |
| October | 68° | 0.5″ | 1 |
| November | 57° | 0.8″ | 1 |
| December | 49° | 1.1″ | 2 |
Regional context
Congress's baseline climate, derived from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals at the nearest reporting station, swings from a January mean of 50°F to a July mean of 88°F — a 39°F seasonal arc typical of the mid-latitude bands. Annual precipitation runs about 10.9 inches spread across roughly 21 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
Rainfall stays relatively even across the calendar: August tops out at 2.0 inches across 3.4 days with measurable rain, and June settles around 0.1 inches across 0.2 rainy days — a comparatively narrow seasonal range. The temperate, evenly-distributed pattern groups Congress with places like Yarnell, AZ, Peeples Valley, AZ and Wickenburg, AZ, where seasonal storm tracks deliver moisture more uniformly than the continental interior.
Hard freezes are uncommon here: the coldest month averages 49°F, well above the freezing threshold, so the growing window stretches across most of the year. Cool-season crops can be planted in late fall through early spring, and warm-season transplants tolerate the local winter unless an unusual frontal passage drops temperatures below the 30-year normal. The hottest stretch arrives in July at a mean of 88°F, which limits cool-season vegetables to the shoulder months on either side of the summer peak. These figures are 1991-2020 averages; isolated cold snaps can still occur outside the normal range. Within Congress, microsite features — slope aspect, proximity to water, urban heat-island effects — can shift the practical risk window by 5-10 days in either direction.
Similar climates: Yarnell, AZ, Peeples Valley, AZ, Wickenburg, AZ, Wilhoit, AZ, Aguila, AZ.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Congress?
- Congress's last spring frost typically falls around mid-March, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-December.
- What is the rainy season in Congress?
- August is the wettest month with about 2.0 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 11 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Congress?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 88°F.
- What is the coldest month in Congress?
- December is typically coldest, averaging about 49°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Congress?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-March); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Congress get?
- Congress averages about 21 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Congress?
- Congress's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Congress, Arizona sits in a hot desert climate zone. January means hover near 50°F while July averages 88°F — a 39°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Congress receives about 11 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 21 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (34.2°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.