Don’t assume Prescott is like much of Arizona – hot and dry. If you do, you might be in for a surprise.

Prescott is in the north, somewhat mountainous area of Arizona. It is cooler than, say, Phoenix, and even has a monsoon season. The climate, however, does allow for comfortable travel throughout the year.

If you are traveling to Prescott in January, bring a jacket. Highs average in the low 50s, while the lows can get into the low 20s. Wintertime also often brings snowfall. If your travels happen to bring you to Prescott one month earlier, in December, “Arizona’s Christmas City” will greet you with cold temperatures as well – highs average about 51 and lows, about 22 degrees.

Due to the desert heat, many people avoid a good part of Arizona during the hot summer months if they can. But Prescott and the surrounding area is where many Arizonans flee during those stupefying hot months. In June, the average high temperature is 84 and the low is 49. By July those highs have increased only a few degrees – the July average high is 88 and the low, 57.

Don’t assume that if you’re heading to Arizona you won’t need an umbrella. If you are in Prescott during monsoon season, you most likely will need to break out your shelter. The “rainy season” arrives in July and August most years and brings with it monsoons. The rain can unexpectedly begin falling hard and bring with it a great amount of rain. While the average rainfall other months of the year can range between ½ inch and 1 ½ inches, the average rainfall in July and August is roughly 3 to 3 ½ inches each month.