Southern Arizona Flying Weather
AZ · 2006–2025 · 9 eligible airports
One of the most reliably VFR regions in the country, with clear skies and light morning winds most of the year. The July–September monsoon brings afternoon and evening thunderstorms, strong gust-front outflows, and haboob dust storms that can drop visibility to near zero within minutes. Extreme summer heat produces very high density altitude and afternoon thermal turbulence even at low-elevation fields, and some operations shift to early morning. Late fall through spring is prime flying season; mid-summer afternoons during the monsoon are the main hazard window.
- Daylight VFR
- 98.4%
- VFR days/yr
- 351
- Mean wind
- 5.5 kt
- Most VFR month
- May
- Fewest VFR month
- December
- VFR Score
- 92
Regional standouts
VFR conditions by month
Regional average across eligible airports
| Month | VFR % |
|---|---|
| Jan | 96.6% |
| Feb | 97.2% |
| Mar | 98.2% |
| Apr | 99.3% |
| May | 99.5% |
| Jun | 99.5% |
| Jul | 98.9% |
| Aug | 99.1% |
| Sep | 98.8% |
| Oct | 99.0% |
| Nov | 98.3% |
| Dec | 96.0% |
Average wind by month
Regional average sustained wind
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 4.7 kt |
| Feb | 5.2 kt |
| Mar | 5.8 kt |
| Apr | 6.4 kt |
| May | 6.5 kt |
| Jun | 6.3 kt |
| Jul | 6.1 kt |
| Aug | 5.5 kt |
| Sep | 5.2 kt |
| Oct | 5.0 kt |
| Nov | 4.7 kt |
| Dec | 4.4 kt |
Every airport in Southern Arizona, ranked
Sort by any column. Best VFR Score first.
| KPANPayson Airport | Payson | 95.0 | 2.5 | 333 | 4 kt | 87 |
| KIGMKingman Airport | Kingman | 98.8 | 0.3 | 352 | 8 kt | 90 |
| KTUSTucson International Airport | Tucson | 99.3 | 0.2 | 357 | 6 kt | 91 |
| KSADSafford Regional Airport | Safford | 99.1 | 0.3 | 354 | 6 kt | 91 |
| KBXKBuckeye Municipal Airport | Buckeye | 97.4 | 0.6 | 350 | 5 kt | 92 |
| KOLSNogales International Airport | Nogales | 98.2 | 0.4 | 349 | 4 kt | 92 |
| KPHXPhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | Phoenix | 99.5 | 0.1 | 359 | 5 kt | 93 |
| KDVTPhoenix Deer Valley Airport | Phoenix | 99.0 | 0.2 | 354 | 5 kt | 95 |
| KSDLScottsdale Airport | Scottsdale | 99.0 | 0.2 | 355 | 3 kt | 98 |
The pattern in Southern Arizona
Across 2006–2025, the 9 eligible airports in Southern Arizona reported VFR conditions during about 98.4% of valid daytime observations, with an estimated 351 VFR flying days per year and a mean surface wind of 5.5 kt. KPHX (Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport) had the most VFR weather at 99.5%. KPAN saw the most instrument conditions, at 2.5% IFR/LIFR. The lowest-ranked eligible field by VFR Score was KPAN (Payson Airport).
How Southern Arizona is defined
AZ low-desert counties — exactly these 11: Mohave, La Paz, Yuma, Maricopa, Pinal, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise. Exact complement of northern-arizona's four plateau counties (Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo, Apache).
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.