Updated 7/21/20. For all you who may be contemplating a visit or move to the Old Pueblo, did you ever wonder what the weather patterns are like in Tucson? Or did you recently move to Tucson and want to know what to expect?

Perhaps you heard that it gets hot here. But how HOT is HOT? Moreover, how does Tucson weather differ from that of Phoenix to the north or from Tombstone and Bisbee weather to the southeast? A hundred miles in any direction from Downtown Tucson can make a big difference in the weather.

Ms. Karen here. A former Navy brat, I have now lived in Tucson longer than I have lived in any other one place. I never before stayed anywhere long enough to recognize the patterns of weather and rhythms of nature, or to plant a garden.

That said, I have been here long enough now to have witnessed that Southern Arizona has not 4, but rather 5 seasons: Winter, Spring, Dry Summer, Wet Summer, and Fall. Tucson averages about 12 inches of rain a year, making the Sonoran Desert the wettest, lushest desert in the world.

On average half occurs in winter and half in summer. As a “Rule of Thumb”, our wet summers start July 4th and end on Labor Day. However, that generality can vary by two or even three weeks either way.