Tucson tourist information

Weather  ^*

Tucson has five seasons: Two major seasons, summer and winter, plus three minor seasons, Autumn, Spring, and Monsoon season.

Summer is characterized by low humidity, clear skies, and daytime high temperatures that exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The average overnight temperature ranges between 69°F and 74°F.

Monsoon season typically begins in July, but can begin anytime from June to August. During monsoon season the humidity is much higher than the rest of the year. This period begins with clouds building up from the south in the early afternoon followed by intense thunderstorms and rainfall, which can cause flash floods. Large areas of the city do not have storm sewers, so monsoon rains flood the main thoroughfares but usually only for a few hours. A few underpasses in Tucson have "feet of water" scales painted on their supports to indicate whether they can be safely "forded" by an automobile during a rainstorm. The evening sky at this time of year is often pierced with dramatic lightning strikes.

Autumn lasts from late October to November or December. It is much like summer, and similarly dry, with days above 100 degrees typical into early October. Average daytime highs of 84°F, with overnight lows of 55°F, constitute typical fall weather.

Winters in Tucson are mild relative to other parts of the United States. Daytime highs in the winter usually are between 64°F and 69°F, with overnight lows between 38°F and 44°F.

Spring begins in late February or March, and is characterized by rising temperatures and several weeks of vivid wildflower blooms. Daytime highs in the spring range from 72°F in March to 88°F in May with overnight lows in March of 45°F and in May of 59°F.

Temperature - Yearly Average

Tucson was probably first visited by Paleo-Indians, known to have been in southern Arizona by about 12,000 years ago. Recent archaeological excavations near the Santa Cruz River have located a village site dating back 4,000 years ago. The floodplain of the Santa Cruz River was extensively farmed by people during the Early Agricultural period, circa 1200 B.C. to A.D. 150. These people constructed irrigation canals and grew corn, beans, and other crops while gathering wild plants and hunting animals. The Early Ceramic period occupation of Tucson saw the first extensive use of pottery vessels for cooking and storage. The groups designated by archaeologists as the Hohokam lived in the area from A.D. 600-1450 and are known for their red-on-brown pottery.

Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino visited the Santa Cruz River valley in 1692, and founded the Mission San Xavier del Bac in 1700. The Spanish established a presidio (fort) in 1775 and the town came to be called "Tucson." Tucson became a part of Mexico after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Following the Gadsden purchase in 1853, Tucson became a part of the United States of America. From August 1861, until mid-1862, Tucson was the capital of the Confederate Territory of Arizona. Until 1863, Tucson and all of Arizona was part of the New Mexico Territory. From 1867 to 1889, Tucson was the capital of the Arizona Territory. The University of Arizona, located in Tucson, was founded in 1885. By 1900 7,531 people lived in Tucson. The population increased gradually to 13,913 in 1910, 20,292 in 1920, and 36,818 in 1940.