Tucson is a little cooler than Phoenix, but summers still run near 100 degrees and the monsoon brings sudden storms and power cuts. Check your seal and rollers in spring, know your release handle before July and test the reversing feature each month. Homes built in different decades have different doors, so ask a technician what yours needs.
A drier, slightly cooler desert
At Tucson International Airport the July average high is 100.2 degrees and the year brings about 10.61 inches of rain, according to the climate table on the city's Wikipedia page. Snow is rare: the table gives 0.1 inches a year, and the last snow was 1.0 inch on March 2, 2023.
The same page says the monsoon officially begins June 15 and that Tucson typically gets its first storms around July 3. Large areas of the city have no storm sewers, so rain can flood main roads for a few hours.
Monsoon storms and outages
On July 11, 2024 Tucson Electric Power reported outages for over 20,000 customers. KVOA named Marana, Oro Valley, Avra Valley, Catalina and Tucson's southwest side among the areas affected.
When the power is out the opener cannot lift the door. Pull the red release handle, lift by hand only if the door moves easily and stop if it feels heavy or scrapes. The National Weather Service advises never touching a downed power line and assuming it is live.
Homes of different ages
| City | Median year built | Share single-family detached |
|---|---|---|
| Tucson | 1979 | 51.8 percent |
| Oro Valley | 1997 | 72.7 percent |
| Sahuarita | 2006 | 86.9 percent |
| Marana | 2008 | 88.2 percent |
Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024 survey. Older homes may have older doors and openers.
What the age of the home means for the door
Tucson has the oldest housing of the four, so an original door and opener may both be well past their working life. Newer areas in Oro Valley, Sahuarita and Marana have newer attached garages, where the common calls are spring wear, worn seals and opener problems.
Openers made on or after January 1, 1993 must have the entrapment protection described by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the commission advises testing the reversing feature monthly. If your opener is older than that, ask about replacing it.
Quick answers
When does the monsoon start in Tucson?
It officially begins June 15, and Tucson typically gets its first storms around July 3, according to the Tucson Wikipedia page.
Does it snow enough in Tucson to affect a garage door?
Rarely. The climate table gives 0.1 inches of snow a year, and the last snow at the airport was 1.0 inch on March 2, 2023.
What do I do if the power goes out and the door will not open?
Pull the red release handle and lift the door by hand only if it moves easily. If it feels heavy or crooked, stop and call a technician.
Should I replace an old garage door opener?
An opener made before January 1, 1993 predates the federal entrapment protection rule. Test the reversing feature monthly and ask a technician about replacing an old unit.
What to check by season
- Spring: bottom seal, rollers and hinges, and any new noise.
- Before July: release handle, remote batteries and sensor lenses.
- After a storm: look for debris in the tracks and a door that sits crooked.
- Autumn: balance and opener travel, while the weather is mild.
Who to call
Emil Garage Doors repairs garage doors, springs, cables and openers and installs new doors in Arizona, including Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana and Sahuarita. Call or send your details with a photo and we book the soonest visit. A broken spring or cable is a job for a technician: see spring repair.
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More guides
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tucson, Arizona (climate table, NOAA 1991-2020 normals; monsoon and street flooding)
- KVOA: More than 20,000 TEP customers experience outages across Tucson (July 11, 2024)
- National Weather Service Phoenix: Monsoon safety (thunderstorm gusts, severe thunderstorm warnings, downed power lines)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Final rules for automatic garage door openers (reversing feature tested monthly)
- Census Reporter, ACS 2020-2024 5-year housing tables (year built, units in structure): Tucson, Oro Valley, Sahuarita, Marana