Northern Arizona Flying Weather
AZ · 2006–2025 · 8 eligible airports
A high-plateau regime where field elevations of roughly 5,000–7,000 ft make density altitude a year-round planning factor and a serious summer hazard at Flagstaff, Prescott, and Grand Canyon. Winter storms bring snow, icing, and mountain obscuration to the Mogollon Rim and San Francisco Peaks — a sharp contrast with the low desert to the south — and gusty spring winds with blowing dust are common regionwide. The summer monsoon builds thunderstorms over the high terrain by early afternoon. Fall offers the most consistent flying; spring wind events and winter storm passages are the roughest.
- Daylight VFR
- 95.6%
- VFR days/yr
- 336
- Mean wind
- 6.0 kt
- Most VFR month
- June
- Fewest VFR month
- December
- VFR Score
- 85
Regional standouts
VFR conditions by month
Regional average across eligible airports
| Month | VFR % |
|---|---|
| Jan | 89.1% |
| Feb | 91.4% |
| Mar | 93.3% |
| Apr | 97.6% |
| May | 98.3% |
| Jun | 99.4% |
| Jul | 98.7% |
| Aug | 98.4% |
| Sep | 98.1% |
| Oct | 96.8% |
| Nov | 94.5% |
| Dec | 88.0% |
Average wind by month
Regional average sustained wind
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 5.1 kt |
| Feb | 6.1 kt |
| Mar | 6.9 kt |
| Apr | 7.7 kt |
| May | 7.4 kt |
| Jun | 7.0 kt |
| Jul | 5.5 kt |
| Aug | 5.1 kt |
| Sep | 5.3 kt |
| Oct | 5.5 kt |
| Nov | 5.3 kt |
| Dec | 5.1 kt |
Every airport in Northern Arizona, ranked
Sort by any column. Best VFR Score first.
| KSOWShow Low Regional Airport | Show Low | 94.1 | 2.5 | 328 | 7 kt | 76 |
| KFLGFlagstaff Pulliam Airport | Flagstaff | 92.3 | 3.6 | 324 | 5 kt | 80 |
| KGCNGrand Canyon National Park Airport | Grand Canyon - Tusayan | 92.9 | 4.0 | 328 | 4 kt | 82 |
| KSEZSedona Airport | Sedona | 95.5 | 1.9 | 338 | 6 kt | 83 |
| KPRCPrescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field | Prescott | 96.7 | 0.9 | 340 | 5 kt | 87 |
| KRQEWindow Rock Airport | Window Rock | 94.9 | 1.6 | 333 | 4 kt | 88 |
| KINWWinslow Lindbergh Regional Airport | Winslow | 98.4 | 0.6 | 348 | 6 kt | 91 |
| KPGAPage Municipal Airport | Page | 97.5 | 0.8 | 348 | 4 kt | 95 |
The pattern in Northern Arizona
Across 2006–2025, the 8 eligible airports in Northern Arizona reported VFR conditions during about 95.6% of valid daytime observations, with an estimated 336 VFR flying days per year and a mean surface wind of 6.0 kt. KINW (Winslow Lindbergh Regional Airport) had the most VFR weather at 98.4%. KGCN saw the most instrument conditions, at 4.0% IFR/LIFR. The lowest-ranked eligible field by VFR Score was KSOW (Show Low Regional Airport).
Neighboring regions
How Northern Arizona is defined
AZ high-plateau counties — exactly these 4: Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo, Apache. All other Arizona counties belong to southern-arizona.
Educational use only. Historical weather rankings from ATIS Alerts are educational summaries of past observations — not a forecast, flight-planning tool, or safety rating. They do not replace current METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, ATIS, or a weather briefing, and favorable history does not make any airport safe. Always check current conditions and use your own judgment before flight.