Best Time to Drive: Lake of the Woods, AZ to Peoria, AZ

The best overall window to drive from Lake of the Woods, AZ to Peoria, AZ is May to October. June is especially comfortable, and 7 AM to 10 AM is usually the easiest departure window. The main things to watch are winter mix risk.

Best overall window

May to October

This stretch gives the steadiest mix of comfort, daylight, and lower weather friction.

Easiest departure pattern

7 AM to 10 AM

This is short enough that a mid-morning departure still keeps the whole drive comfortable.

Most challenging stretch

December

January is one of the harder months for this route because the weather friction stacks up faster.

Why This Route Scores Differently

This is a same-day corridor, so departure timing matters almost as much as the month you choose.

The current best window is May to October, when the drive is more likely to feel steady end to end.

This score uses multiple NOAA sample points along the route instead of a single state-wide climate average.

Month-by-Month Driving Conditions

Jan

Fair 26°F

Feb

Fair 28°F

Mar

Good 32°F

Apr

Good 36°F

May

Great 42°F

Jun

Excellent 48°F

Jul

Great 50°F

Aug

Great 49°F

Sep

Great 46°F

Oct

Great 39°F

Nov

Fair 31°F

Dec

Challenging 25°F

Best Good/Fair Challenging

Average Conditions by Month

January

Avg high / low 34 / 18°F

Moisture 1.8 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

February

Avg high / low 36 / 19°F

Moisture 1.7 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

March

Avg high / low 41 / 22°F

Moisture 1.3 in rain

Rating Good

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

April

Avg high / low 46 / 26°F

Moisture 0.5 in rain

Rating Good

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

May

Avg high / low 52 / 31°F

Moisture 0.4 in rain

Rating Great

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

June

Avg high / low 60 / 37°F

Moisture 0.3 in rain

Rating Excellent

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

July

Avg high / low 60 / 41°F

Moisture 2.2 in rain

Rating Great

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

August

Avg high / low 58 / 40°F

Moisture 2.4 in rain

Rating Great

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

September

Avg high / low 55 / 36°F

Moisture 1.2 in rain

Rating Great

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

October

Avg high / low 49 / 29°F

Moisture 1.2 in rain

Rating Great

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

November

Avg high / low 40 / 23°F

Moisture 1.1 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

December

Avg high / low 34 / 17°F

Moisture 1.6 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Winter mix risk Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain disruption is usually limited compared with wetter months.

Seasonal Hazards on This Route

Winter mix risk

Jan - Dec

Even light snow or freezing precipitation can matter more than usual when this route turns into a same-day commitment.

Best Departure Time by Season

Spring

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Summer

7 AM to 10 AM

This is short enough that a mid-morning departure still keeps the whole drive comfortable.

Fall

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Winter

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

How This Score Was Built

Source

Route-sampled NOAA climate normals

High confidence. Built from 3 NOAA-backed route checkpoints rather than a single statewide estimate.

Origin zone

Desert Southwest

Destination zone

Desert Southwest

Route sample points

Late route

Late route checkpoint

AZ PINETOP 2E (4.8 mi away)

Late route

Late route checkpoint

AZ GLOBE #3 (2.8 mi away)

Destination

Peoria, AZ

AZ GLENDALE 1.2 ESE (3.1 mi away)

Ready to plan? See the full trip plan from Lake of the Woods, AZ to Peoria, AZ with stops, fuel costs, and directions.

Considering flying instead? Compare driving vs flying for this route.