Flagstaff Short-Term Rental Seasonality, Month by Month

When is the busy season for Flagstaff short-term rentals?
Flagstaff has two strong seasons, not one. Summer (roughly May through August) brings Phoenix heat escapes and Grand Canyon traffic, and winter brings snow and Snowbowl, with December among the highest-rate months. January and February are consistently the slowest. March spring breaks, fall events and holidays fill in between.

Data and 2026 to 2027 dates last verified September 2026

One of the things we love about Flagstaff as an STR market is that it has two seasons that pull in different guests. The group escaping 106-degree Phoenix in July isn't the same group chasing fresh powder in January, and a well-run home can serve both.

We own and run two short-term rentals in the Phoenix area, and we own a rental home here in Flagstaff that we lease to Capstone Homes as one of their model homes. We've also helped dozens of Flagstaff clients run the numbers on investment properties and STRs, buy them, and coach them on optimal self-management (so they can maximize profit). Knowing the calendar is how you price well, plan maintenance, and avoid panicking in February.

This is part of our complete Flagstaff short-term rental guide.

The shape of the year

Rabbu publishes a full year of Flagstaff STR revenue by month. Here's what the average listing earned in each month over the 12 months to April 2026.

Other sources agree on the broad shape but not every detail. AirROI names February the weakest month and December the peak revenue month. Both agree January and February are slow and that March, summer and December are strong. Where they split is whether July or December earns the most, and that depends a lot on your home. A cabin with a hot tub near the Snowbowl road and a townhome near downtown won't have the same best month.

By quarter, countywide

The Arizona Office of Tourism publishes quarterly AirDNA data for Coconino County. It includes Sedona, Page and the Grand Canyon area as well as Flagstaff, so treat it as regional context.

Source: Arizona Office of Tourism, Short-Term Rental Performance by Arizona County (AirDNA), 2025 quarterly reports.

Q2 earned the most per available night and Q1 the least, while Q4 carried the highest nightly rate. That lines up with what we see in Flagstaff specifically: spring and early summer are strong, the holidays command a premium, and the first quarter is quiet outside of spring break and big snow weekends.

Weather, month by month

These are the official 1991 to 2020 normals for Flagstaff Pulliam Airport from NOAA. Annual snowfall averages 90.1 inches.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991 to 2020 monthly normals, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport.

What drives demand

Escaping the Valley heat

The RRC Associates study found 42% of Flagstaff's STR owners are based in Maricopa County, which says a lot about how connected the two places are. When the Valley is over 100 degrees from June through September, a mountain town two hours north with highs around 80 sells itself.

The Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon National Park had 4,430,653 recreation visits in 2025, down from 4,919,163 in 2024, and a lot of those trips run through Flagstaff. Here's how the 2025 visits fell by month.

Snow and Snowbowl

Arizona Snowbowl is scheduled to open for the 2026 to 2027 season on November 20, 2026. Last season it opened November 20, 2025 and closed April 19, 2026 after 150 inches of snow and 139 days of skiing. Closing dates vary a lot with the snow year. The 2024 season ran until June 1, the latest in the resort's history. Arizona Nordic Village, 16 miles north on US 180, runs from about mid-November to mid-April.

The universities

NAU brings move-in, family weekend, homecoming and two commencements a year, and spring breaks at ASU and the University of Arizona bring a wave of visitors north in March. In our experience, commencement weekends book up early in town.

Dark skies

Flagstaff became the world's first International Dark Sky City on October 24, 2001, and Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930, welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year. The 25th anniversary is October 24, 2026. Stargazing is a year-round draw that's especially easy to sell in the long nights of fall and winter.

Month by month

Event dates below are the most recent ones we could confirm. Most repeat each year, but dates move, so check each event's own site before you set prices around it.

January

The snowiest month, averaging 20.9 inches, with lows around 18°F. Grand Canyon's slowest month (191,862 visits in January 2025). Rabbu's second-lowest revenue month. Snowbowl and the Nordic Village are in season, so homes set up for skiers and snow play tend to hold up best. NAU spring classes start January 11, 2027, and MLK weekend (January 18, 2027) can be a bright spot.

February

Usually the slowest month for STRs. AirROI had it at 34% occupancy, with 3.1-night average stays and bookings made about 30 days out. Rabbu had it as the lowest revenue month at $1,998. Events like the I Heart Pluto Festival and Arizona Beer Week (both in mid-February in 2026) and Presidents' Day weekend (February 15, 2027) can help. A fresh storm on a weekend can fill the calendar fast.

March

Spring break season, and one of the strongest months of the year (Rabbu's second-highest at $3,620). In 2027, University of Arizona's spring break runs March 6 to 14 and ASU's March 7 to 14, and NAU's follows March 15 to 19. Grand Canyon visits jump by about 70% from February. It's still winter here, averaging 15.6 inches of snow, so guests get both.

April

A shoulder month. Snowfall drops to about 5 inches. Snowbowl's closing date depends on the snow year: April 19 in 2026, but June 1 in each of the two seasons before. The Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival (April 8 to 12 in 2026) and Northern Arizona Book Festival bring visitors. Grand Canyon traffic keeps climbing (460,907 visits in April 2025). A good month for your deep clean and repairs between bookings.

May

Summer starts. Grand Canyon's peak month (508,642 visits in May 2025). NAU commencement is May 7 to 8, 2027, and tends to book early. Snowbowl's summer season opens around Mother's Day weekend, Overland Expo comes to town (May 15 to 17 in 2026), and Memorial Day weekend is May 31, 2027. Fire restrictions can start now: Stage 1 began May 21 in 2026.

June

The driest month, with highs near 79°F while Phoenix averages 104°F. The event calendar gets busy: in 2026, the Flagstaff Pro Rodeo (June 4 to 6), Flagstaff Folk Festival (June 13 to 14), Pride in the Pines (June 20), the Piano Festival (June 20 to 27) and the Museum of Northern Arizona Heritage Festival (June 26 to 28). Stage 2 fire restrictions can land in late June (June 30 in 2026), which is when the City's fire pit and grill rule kicks in for STRs.

July

The warmest month and, per Rabbu, the peak revenue month ($3,768). AirROI shows July with the longest booking lead time (85 days) and longest stays (5.1 nights), so summer bookings come early. The Fourth of July parade downtown draws thousands. The monsoon usually arrives in northern Arizona in the first week of July, and when enough rain comes, fire restrictions lift (July 20 in 2026, July 26 in 2024, but not until September 5 in 2025).

August

The wettest month at 3.04 inches, with afternoon thunderstorms common. Still strong for STRs (Rabbu $3,469). NAU move-in runs August 19 to 24, 2026, and those dates book early. Events in 2026 included the Chili Festival, the Flagstaff International Film Festival and the Wild Flagstaff Music Festival.

September

Some of the prettiest weather of the year, with highs around 74°F. Labor Day weekend brings the Coconino County Fair and Art in the Park. NAU Family Weekend (September 11 to 13, 2026), Pickin' in the Pines (September 18 to 20, 2026) and the Flagstaff Festival of Science (starting September 25, 2026) keep weekends busy. The monsoon officially ends September 30.

October

Fall color. Snowbowl runs scenic rides through mid-October (October 18 in 2026). The Flagstaff Star Party and Oktoberfest (early October), ASU fall break (October 10 to 13, 2026), NAU Homecoming (October 15 to 17, 2026) and the Dark Sky City anniversary (October 24) all bring guests. Nights drop near freezing, so this is the month to finish your winter prep.

November

A soft month for most homes (Rabbu $2,432), with bright spots late in the month. Snowbowl's scheduled opening is November 20, 2026, and Thanksgiving is November 26. Holiday lights at Little America start up, and the Polar Express runs out of nearby Williams. Winter street parking rules start November 1.

December

Among the highest nightly rates of the year, and AirROI's peak revenue month. Snow, ski season, NAU fall commencement (December 11, 2026), downtown holiday events and the Great Pinecone Drop at the Weatherford Hotel on New Year's Eve. Winter storm weekends near the holidays can mean long traffic on US 180, so good arrival instructions matter.

Pricing and planning around the seasons

1. Budget for a quiet first quarter. Plan your cash flow so January and February don't surprise you, and treat March and holiday weekends as the bright spots.
2. Open summer early. With July bookings landing about 85 days out on average, your summer calendar and rates should be set by spring.
3. Load your event calendar. Commencements, spring breaks, the rodeo, Pickin' in the Pines and the holidays all deserve their own rates. Dynamic pricing tools help, but they work best when you tell them what's coming.
4. Schedule the work in the shoulders. April, early May and early November are the natural windows for deep cleans, repairs and upgrades.
5. Prep for both seasons. Snow and freeze plans by late October. Fire season plans by mid-May. Our setup guide covers both.
6. Consider mid-term stays in the slow months. Stays of 30 days or longer fall outside the City's STR license and short-term lodging tax, and can smooth out the quietest weeks. Check your HOA rules first.

Frequently asked questions

What is the slowest month for Airbnb in Flagstaff?

February, and January is close behind. Rabbu's data showed average revenue of about $2,000 in each of those months, and AirROI had February at 34% occupancy.

What is the best month for Flagstaff short-term rentals?

Sources split between July and December. Rabbu shows July as the peak revenue month, and AirROI shows December. March, driven by spring break, is also one of the strongest.

When does Arizona Snowbowl open for 2026 to 2027?

Snowbowl's scheduled opening day is November 20, 2026. Closing dates depend on the snow year and have ranged from mid-April to June 1 in recent seasons.

How much snow does Flagstaff get?

An average of 90.1 inches a year at Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, based on NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals. January is the snowiest month at about 21 inches.

When are fire restrictions in Flagstaff?

In recent years, from late May or June until the monsoon brings enough rain. In 2026, Stage 1 started May 21, Stage 2 on June 30, and all restrictions lifted July 20.