Climate · Appleton

Appleton, KS climate

Appleton has chilly winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
93°
259th hottest of 1,996 Kansas towns
January low
21°
658th mildest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Rain + melted snow
23 in
268th driest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow a winter
12 in
673rd least snowy of 1,996 Kansas towns
A normal year

What a year in Appleton feels like

Winter

47° / 22°
Typical high / low · 4 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

69° / 42°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 21

Summer

90° / 65°
Typical high / low · 84 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

70° / 44°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 17
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Appleton weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January46°21°0.7" 2.3"31 26° – 42°
February50°24°0.7" 3.6"43 29° – 45°
March60°32°1.5" 1.8"51 39° – 55°
April68°41°2.0" 0.1"60 49° – 60°
May78°52°3.1" 080 57° – 73°
June88°62°3.7" 080 68° – 80°
July93°67°3.4" 070 76° – 87°
August91°65°3.0" 080 72° – 84°
September83°57°1.7" 050 65° – 77°
October71°44°2.0" 0.1"50 50° – 63°
November57°31°0.8" 0.5"30 37° – 51°
December47°22°1.0" 3.2"43 28° – 38°
Year69°43°23.4"11.6"648

“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.

Rain & snow

Rain and snow in Appleton

Appleton gets 23 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 8 days of the year.

23 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 84% of U.S. towns
12 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 70% of U.S. towns
8 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 70% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.7"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
3.6"
Frost & the growing season

About 178 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 17. That leaves about 178 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 50% of U.S. towns.

138
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2
nights below 0° in a normal year
84
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Appleton

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Appleton, 73% of that work is heating and 27% is cooling.

73%heating
4,640 heating degree daysLess heating than 72% of U.S. towns
1,727 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 84% of U.S. towns

Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.

Around Appleton

Appleton and its neighbors

Appleton borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Bloom has the coldest January nights (20°) and Englewood the hottest July afternoons (95°). Appleton’s January low is 21° and its July high 93°.

Sand Creek: January low 21°, July high 95°Sodville: January low 20°, July high 93°Wilburn: January low 20°, July high 93°Protection: January low 21°, July high 95°Englewood: January low 21°, July high 95°Bloom: January low 20°, July high 93°Lexington: January low 20°, July high 94°Appleton: January low 21°, July high 93° AppletonEnglewoodBloomLexington
ColderMilder20° to 21°
Bloom19.9° −0.8°
Lexington20.4° −0.3°
Englewood20.6° −0.1°
Appleton20.7°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Appleton compares

Summer heat93° July high
Hotter than 92% of U.S. towns259th hottest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Winter cold21° January low
Milder than 57% of U.S. towns658th mildest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Precipitation23" a year
Drier than 84% of U.S. towns268th driest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow12" a winter
Less snow than 70% of U.S. towns673rd least snowy of 1,996 Kansas towns
Growing season178 frost-free days
Longer than 50% of U.S. towns590th shortest of 1,996 Kansas towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.6°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Appleton averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°). The shift is smaller than in 94% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.3° now 35°, was 34°
🌷 Spring+1.0° now 55°, was 54°
☀️ Summer+0.1° now 77°, was 77°
🍂 Fall+0.1° now 57°, was 57°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Appleton’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 26° to 42°. December is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Appleton’s climate

What is the coldest month in Appleton?

January, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 21°.

What is the hottest month in Appleton?

July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 67°. About 84 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Appleton get?

About 12 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Appleton?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by April 21.

What is the rainiest month in Appleton?

June, with 3.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 23 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Appleton itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ashland, KS (16 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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