Pick a city and a month. The card below shows how recent temperature and rainfall compare against the 30-year normal, with a plain-language verdict you can act on.
Phoenix, AZ
July 2026 vs. 1991-2020 normal
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TemperatureNormal high 106.1 °F
-6°normal+6°
108.4°F observed
106.1°F normal
+2.3°F departure
RainfallNormal 0.91 in
-100%normal+100%
0.42in observed
0.91in normal
-54%departure
This month ran a little warmer than the 30-year average, but well inside the range of normal variation. Rainfall was about half of normal, which is noticeable for gardens but not extreme.
How to read this comparison
What a normal actually means
A climate normal is a 30-year average. NOAA calculates one for each month at thousands of stations. The current reference period is 1991 through 2020. That means the "normal" high temperature for Phoenix in July is the average of every July high temperature recorded between 1991 and 2020. It is not a prediction. It is a baseline.
How much deviation matters
For temperature, a departure of more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit from the monthly normal is usually noticeable. For rainfall, a departure of more than 20 percent above or below normal starts to affect soil moisture, garden planning, and water use. The verdict on the card uses those thresholds to label the month as near normal, moderately unusual, or clearly unusual.
Common mistakes
People often compare a single hot day to the monthly normal. That is not a fair comparison. A monthly normal smooths out daily swings. Another mistake is treating one unusual month as proof of a long-term shift. Climate trends are measured over decades, not weeks. Use this page to check whether a month stands out, not to declare a new climate regime.
Shifting normals
Normals change when NOAA updates them every ten years. A city that warmed steadily over the last few decades will show a higher normal in the 1991-2020 set than in the 1981-2010 set. That shift is real, but it also means older memories of "normal" can feel off. This page uses the most recent official normals available.
Using this for garden planning
If you are choosing when to plant, water, or cover sensitive plants, compare the current month against the normal for that month. A temperature departure of 4 or more degrees, or a rainfall departure of 30 percent or more, is a signal to adjust your plan. The history panel below lets you track how often your city has strayed from normal over the past year.
What this page does not do
This is not a forecast. It does not pull live data from weather stations. The observed values shown are representative monthly figures compiled from public NOAA records. For real-time conditions or safety-critical decisions, consult the National Weather Service directly.
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