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Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Weather


A photo of dark clouds gathering above a tree lined ridge.

NPS Photo by Barry Nielsen

Gathering clouds above Cliff Dweller Canyon, as viewed from the Cliff Dwellings.

July and August are the rainy months, with the possibility of short but intense rain each day. Monthly rainfall can vary from almost three inches in August to a third of an inch in May, the driest month. Precipitation in winter ranges from about half an inch per month to an inch and a half. Humidity is normally quite low. Fog occurs in the mornings occasionally during summer. Small hail has occurred in the summer in conjunction with thunderstorms, but this is infrequent. Winters normally receive a few inches of snow.

Average monthly rainfall estimates in inches are:
Jan. - .71, Feb. - .68, Mar. - .65,
Apr. - .47, May - .33, Jun. - .58,
Jul. - 2.81, Aug. - 2.83, Sep. - 1.88,
Oct. - 1.59, Nov. - .50, Dec. - 1.44.  

During the summer, daytime highs average in the 90s (F) while nighttime lows can reach into the 50s (F). During the winter, daytime highs can be in the 50s (F), while nighttime lows can reach into the teens. It could snow as early as October and as late as April. It could freeze even in June in areas of the highest altitudes.

 

Geronimo Plaque  

Did You Know?
Geronimo said, “I was born at the headwaters of the Gila River.” The Gila area in New Mexico is the traditional homeland of the Eastern Bands of Chiricahua Apache and remains important to their oral traditions, history and cultural identity.

Last Updated: July 25, 2006 at 00:23 EST