Portal, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Portal, Arizona
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 Portal, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Portal, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Cochise |
| Elevation | 4,761 ft (1,451 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| Area code(s) | 520 |
| GNIS feature ID | 9657 |
Portal is a small, unincorporated community in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. An unincorporated community is a place that isn't officially governed by a city or town council. Portal is located about 25 miles (40 km) south-southeast of San Simon.
This community sits at the entrance of Cave Creek Canyon, which is on the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains. Many people call this canyon the "Yosemite of Arizona." This is because of its tall, rock walls. These walls are made from a type of rock called volcanic tuff, which is formed from volcanic ash.
Contents
Exploring Portal: Nature and Science
Portal is a popular spot for people who love nature and science. It offers unique experiences for visitors.
Birdwatching Adventures
The community is a very popular place for birding in southeastern Arizona. Many different kinds of birds live here, making it a great place to observe them in their natural homes. People come from all over to see rare and beautiful birds.
Southwest Research Station
Portal is also home to a special science center. This is the American Museum of Natural History's Southwest Research Station. Scientists work here to study the plants, animals, and environment of the southwestern United States. It's an important place for learning about nature.
Stargazing at Arizona Sky Village
The Arizona Sky Village is an astronomy community located in Portal. Astronomy is the study of stars, planets, and space. People who love looking at the night sky live here. The skies in this area are very clear, with almost no light pollution. This makes it perfect for stargazing and observing distant galaxies.
Understanding Portal's Climate
Portal has a semi-arid climate. This means it's quite dry, but not as dry as a desert. It's typical for the higher areas of Arizona.
Seasonal Weather Patterns
Days in Portal are usually warm to hot, but the nights are often quite cool. In winter, there are frequent frosts, which means the temperature drops below freezing. However, the days during winter are usually mild and pleasant. Most of the rain in Portal comes from thunderstorms during the summer months.
| Climate data for Portal, Arizona, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1955–2021 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) |
82 (28) |
84 (29) |
88 (31) |
96 (36) |
101 (38) |
101 (38) |
96 (36) |
93 (34) |
89 (32) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.8 (18.8) |
70.6 (21.4) |
76.7 (24.8) |
81.4 (27.4) |
89.4 (31.9) |
95.5 (35.3) |
94.7 (34.8) |
90.8 (32.7) |
87.3 (30.7) |
83.1 (28.4) |
74.3 (23.5) |
67.3 (19.6) |
96.6 (35.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 55.7 (13.2) |
60.3 (15.7) |
66.2 (19.0) |
73.3 (22.9) |
80.9 (27.2) |
89.3 (31.8) |
87.7 (30.9) |
84.8 (29.3) |
81.3 (27.4) |
74.6 (23.7) |
64.4 (18.0) |
55.3 (12.9) |
72.8 (22.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.5 (4.7) |
44.3 (6.8) |
49.0 (9.4) |
55.1 (12.8) |
62.2 (16.8) |
70.5 (21.4) |
72.8 (22.7) |
71.0 (21.7) |
66.1 (18.9) |
57.9 (14.4) |
48.0 (8.9) |
40.8 (4.9) |
56.5 (13.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.3 (−3.7) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
36.9 (2.7) |
43.4 (6.3) |
51.6 (10.9) |
57.9 (14.4) |
57.1 (13.9) |
50.9 (10.5) |
41.2 (5.1) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
40.2 (4.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 11.9 (−11.2) |
15.2 (−9.3) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
40.2 (4.6) |
50.4 (10.2) |
49.4 (9.7) |
40.5 (4.7) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
9.2 (−12.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −11 (−24) |
0 (−18) |
8 (−13) |
16 (−9) |
20 (−7) |
31 (−1) |
42 (6) |
41 (5) |
29 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
−2 (−19) |
−5 (−21) |
−11 (−24) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.42 (36) |
1.12 (28) |
0.93 (24) |
0.39 (9.9) |
0.46 (12) |
0.88 (22) |
3.86 (98) |
4.35 (110) |
2.12 (54) |
1.10 (28) |
1.28 (33) |
1.68 (43) |
19.59 (497.9) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.4 (3.6) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
1.2 (3.0) |
3.8 (9.71) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 12.1 | 13.2 | 8.3 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 5.2 | 67.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
