Seasons Report: Weather and What to Do Each Season in the White Mountains

Part of Things To Do, our guides to parks, lakes, trails, camping, museums and clubs in the White Mountains.

Show Low sits at about 6,400 ft, so it has four real seasons: freezing, snowy winters (January low 23.6 F), a dry spring, a summer with monsoon storms from June 15 to September 30, and a crisp fall. Figures are NOAA 1991-2020 normals, as of October 23, 2026. For today’s conditions, use the official links below.

Checked Oct 23, 2026 · Edited by Sam Ridley · Sources · How we check

Normals are NOAA 1991-2020 values for Show Low AP; seasonal opening dates are as of October 23, 2026 and change yearly. Jump to climate, winter, spring, summer and the monsoon, fall or today’s conditions.

Climate Normals by Month

Monthly normals are 30-year averages (1991-2020) from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information for the station Show Low AP (Show Low airport; about 6,411 ft). They describe a typical month, not a forecast. Snowfall is the airport’s; the high country around Greer, Big Lake and the ski mountains (roughly 9,000 to 10,700 ft) gets far more.

Other airport figures from the Arizona State Climate Office’s sheet (same NOAA data, marked preliminary; record period 1984-2024): an average of 20 days a year at 90 F or above, 121 days with a low of 32 F or below, a record high of 100 F (July 14, 2003) and a record low of −22 F (December 23, 1990).

Winter (December to February)

Normal highs are in the mid-40s to low 50s F and normal lows in the 20s; December and January bring about 5.4 and 4.0 inches of snow at the airport, and the airport sees a low of 32 F or below on about 25 or more days in December and January.

• Skiing and tubing: Sunrise Park Resort, owned and run by the White Mountain Apache Tribe, lists an anticipated 2026-27 opening of Friday, November 28, 2026, with night skiing 4 to 8 p.m. on December 26-28, December 31-January 2, January 15-16 and February 13-14 (resort tickets page dated October 15, 2026). The 2025-26 season opened December 12, 2025. The resort reports a 250-inch average season snowfall and a top elevation of 10,700 ft. Tubing is on weekends.
• Cross-country skiing and sledding: the Tribe’s rules allow cross-country skiing at the Sunrise Winter Use Area and Haystack Area and sledding only at the Sunrise Winter Use Area, with an outdoor recreation permit ($10 per vehicle per day, as read October 22, 2026). The Forest Service describes Pole Knoll, near Greer, as mostly a cross-country ski area and the Clell Lee Loop at Hannagan Meadow as groomed for cross-country skiing when conditions allow.
• Roads and access: the Forest Service says Highway 191 south of Alpine may not be plowed evenings, weekends, holidays or during storms. The Rim Lakes area closes to wheeled motor vehicles in winter when there is enough snow, the Woods Canyon Lake gate is locked in winter (walk-in allowed), and an Arizona Game and Fish guide says roads to Big Lake and Greer-area waters are generally closed to snow from about December to early April.
• Ice fishing: the Forest Service lists ice fishing at Willow Springs Lake and Arizona Game and Fish describes it as popular at Big Lake. Ice thickness changes daily and is not on this page. See Lakes and Streams and Fishing.
• Still open: Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area is open year round, with the gate 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from November through March (AZ State Parks). The White Mountain Nature Center’s raptor exhibition runs Wednesday to Saturday from October through April. See Parks and Museums.

Spring (March to May)

Normals warm from 58 F (March high) to 73.6 F (May), and nights climb from 31.3 F to 44.5 F. April, May and June are the driest months of the year at the airport (0.57, 0.62 and 0.42 inches), and snow is down to 1.6 inches in April and 0 in May.

• Campgrounds open late: Forest Service campgrounds around Woods Canyon Lake and the Rim (Rim, Mogollon, Aspen, Spillway, Crook, Black Canyon Rim and Gentry) list May 1 starts. Luna Lake, Rainbow Campground at Big Lake and Hannagan list May 15. Dates vary by page and conditions, so confirm one before you drive up. See RV Camping and Tent Camping.
• Fishing: Arizona Game and Fish’s guide says Big Lake fishes well in spring after the ice goes out, in late April and May. Watercraft rentals at Woods Canyon Lake run late April through October (Forest Service). Stocking dates are on the state’s own schedule, linked below.
• Gates and hours: the Fool Hollow gate moves to 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April through October, and its tent-site weekend two-night minimum runs April 1 to October 30. Little House Museum (South Fork) lists summer hours from May 15, and Butterfly Lodge Museum in Greer opened May 21 in 2026.
• Trails and wildlife: snow can linger on high trails; see Hiking Trails, Local Wildlife and ATV and Overland Trails.
• Dry-season fire rules: restrictions and closures are posted on the Forest Service alerts page and the state’s fire map (both linked below), not here.

Summer and the Monsoon (June to September)

Normal highs reach 83.9 F in June and peak at 85.3 F in July; the airport averages 20 days a year at 90 F or above, nearly all of them June to August. June is dry (0.42 inches); July and August are the two wettest months (2.35 and 2.97 inches), and July through September together add up to 6.76 of the year’s 15.70 inches, about 43 percent.

The National Weather Service says the monsoon officially runs June 15 to September 30, but moisture typically does not reach northern Arizona until about the first week of July. Much of the area gets 40 to 50 percent of its yearly precipitation in the monsoon, mostly as afternoon and evening thunderstorms, and the Mogollon Rim sets storms off on most days. The pattern winds down in September, with longer breaks between storms.

• Plan around storms: start hikes and lake days early and watch the sky in the afternoon. The NWS has flood safety guidance and a Flagstaff monsoon page (linked below).
• Camping and lakes: the Rim, Big Lake, Greer and Alpine campgrounds are in season (see RV Camping and Tent Camping). The Tribe says its reservation campgrounds are serviced Memorial Day to Labor Day and that streams are stocked weekly in summer and high-country lakes once or twice a month; a tribal permit is required. See Lakes and Streams and Fishing.
• Museums: hours are seasonal. Butterfly Lodge Museum (Greer) ran May 21 to September 19 in 2026, Little House Museum lists May 15 to Labor Day, closed Wednesdays, and the Pinetop-Lakeside Historical Society Museum lists May through October. The White Mountain Nature Center runs raptor shows Tuesday to Saturday from May to September. See Museums.
• Events: the area’s festivals, rodeos and concerts cluster in summer; see upcoming events and what happens every year.

Fall (October and November)

Normal highs drop from 68.1 F in October to 56.4 F in November, and lows from 40.6 F to 31.0 F. The airport averages 5 days in October and 17 in November with a low of 32 F or below. Snow returns: 0.4 inches in October, 1.9 in November, 5.4 in December.

• Color: the Forest Service says the White Mountains offer golden aspens, cottonwoods and willows, especially around Big Lake and Hannagan Meadow. Its Escudilla Trail page says the aspen groves give magnificent color around the first week in October. That is a general note from the Forest Service, not a forecast; peak timing changes with elevation and year. No official source we read gives wildflower timing.
• Fishing: Arizona Game and Fish’s guide says Big Lake fishes well in fall, with large brook trout in October and November.
• Seasons end: campgrounds that list May 1 to Columbus Day (Rim, Mogollon, Black Canyon Rim, Gentry) reached their listed end with Columbus Day, October 12, 2026; Aspen and Spillway list October 31, Crook mid-October, Alpine Divide October 31. Grayling at Big Lake is free and closed from mid-October to mid-May. Always check the page for a given campground.
• Winter gear returns: Sunrise Park Resort lists an anticipated opening of November 28, 2026 (see Winter). Raptor shows at the Nature Center move to the Wednesday-to-Saturday winter schedule in October.
• More to do: Hiking Trails, ATV and Overland Trails, Local Wildlife and fall events.

Check Today’s Conditions

These are the official live sources. We do not repeat their status here, because roads, fire rules, snow and lake access can change within hours.

What We Could Not Verify

• Snowfall for any place other than the Show Low airport station, and snow depth anywhere (live only: see the ski resort snow report).
• Arizona Game and Fish stocking dates, including the changed stocking window for Show Low-area waters seen in a 2024 search result: azgfd.com blocked our tools, so we link the schedule and state no dates.
• The statewide fire map (wildlandfire.az.gov) and its history for 2026: the site blocked our tools, so we link it without describing its current status.
• Wildflower timing and peak fall-color dates for any year: no official source gives them; the Forest Service gives only the general early-October note for Escudilla.
• Winter bald eagle viewing spots: the state wildlife pages were blocked, so none is listed.
• Exact campground and day-use season dates: Forest Service pages sometimes conflict (for example Woods Canyon Lake lists May 1 and May 29 starts), and they change each year.
• Sunrise Park Resort’s 2026-27 opening date is the resort’s anticipated date; 2026-27 daily hours are not yet posted separately.

More Guides

Questions People Ask

What is the weather like in Show Low?

By NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the airport, January averages a high of 46.0 F and a low of 23.6 F, July a high of 85.3 F and a low of 59.2 F. The year brings 15.70 inches of precipitation and about 19.4 inches of snow at the airport.

When is the monsoon in Show Low?

The National Weather Service defines the monsoon as June 15 to September 30. In northern Arizona the moisture typically does not arrive until about the first week of July, and storms usually come in the afternoon and evening.

How much snow does Show Low get?

The airport station’s normals add up to about 19.4 inches a year, mostly from November to April. Sunrise Park Resort, far higher, reports a 250-inch average season snowfall.

When does the ski season start?

Sunrise Park Resort lists an anticipated opening of Friday, November 28, 2026, depending on snow. Check its snow report for the real date.

When do the aspens turn?

The Forest Service says the Escudilla aspen groves show color around the first week in October, and names Big Lake and Hannagan Meadow among the best places. It does not publish a yearly forecast.

Where can I check fire restrictions?

Use the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests alerts page and the state wildland fire map linked in the table above. County and city rules are on those governments’ sites.

When do the campgrounds open?

Many Forest Service campgrounds list May 1 or May 15 starts and close between mid-October and October 31, but each page differs. See our RV and tent camping guides, then confirm on the campground page.

Sources

1. NOAA NCEI Monthly U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Show Low AP (USC00027855)
2. NOAA NCEI normals station inventory (location and elevation)
3. Arizona State Climate Office: Show Low normals, means and extremes (PDF, preliminary)
4. NWS Flagstaff: Northern Arizona Monsoon Season
5. NWS: Flood Safety Tips and Resources
6. Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests: Alerts
7. USDA Forest Service: Fall Colors
8. Forest Service: Escudilla National Recreation Trail 308
9. Forest Service: Clell Lee Loop Trail (Hannagan Meadow)
10. Forest Service: Pole Knoll Recreation Area
11. Sunrise Park Resort: Tickets and Season Passes
12. Sunrise Park Resort: Snow Report
13. White Mountain Apache Tribe Outdoor Recreation: regulations
14. Arizona State Parks: Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area
15. AZ511 (ADOT)
16. NWS Flagstaff
17. Arizona Game and Fish Department: fish stocking schedule
18. Wildland Fire Arizona (fire restrictions map)
19. InciWeb
20. Drought.gov: Arizona
21. White Mountain Nature Center

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s Show Low. Cite this page: It’s Show Low (itsshowlow.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.