Twenty to thirty degrees cooler than Phoenix, with a real winter.
Williams sits high enough that its weather looks nothing like the rest of Arizona. At about 6,770 feet, it runs 20 to 30 degrees cooler than Phoenix most of the year. July highs average about 84. January averages a high around 47 and a low around 21. The town averages around 65 inches of snow a year.
Cool and windy. Days climb from the 40s into the 60s over the season, nights stay near freezing into April, and a late snow is still possible in March.
This is the reason desert buyers come. Highs sit in the low to mid 80s, humidity is low, and nights drop into the 40s and 50s. The monsoon arrives in mid July, with afternoon thunderstorms most days into September. Mornings are usually clear, storms build after noon, and evenings cool off fast.
Mild days in the 60s and 70s, cold nights, and thinner crowds. The first real snow often lands in November.
Highs in the 40s and lows around 20, colder on clear nights. Snow comes in waves rather than steadily, and totals swing a lot from year to year. Main roads and State Route 64 are plowed. You may need chains or snow tires on back roads and steep driveways.
Buy a home that is built for the cold: heating that holds a room in January, good insulation, and windows rated for it. Plan for clearing your driveway. And if the house sits empty part of the year, have someone check it during hard freezes so a pipe problem does not sit for weeks.
On 111 Highland Meadows, the house we are building on the golf course, that meant radiant heated floors throughout and spray foam insulation in both the house and the garage.
Yes, every winter. The town averages around 65 inches a year, though totals vary widely.
July highs average about 84, with cool nights in the 40s and 50s.
Roughly mid July to mid September, with afternoon thunderstorms on most days.
Much cooler. It runs 20 to 30 degrees below Phoenix most of the year because of the elevation.
Start with the full guide: Moving to Williams, Arizona.
Last reviewed September 2026. Distances, schedules, and local rules change, so confirm anything you plan around with the source.
Header photo: Kaibab National Forest, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.