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Climate in Bala · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Bala has chilly winters and warm summers

A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

A year in Bala at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan39°19° 5" snow
Feb44°22° 3" snow
Mar56°32°
Apr66°41° Nice outLast frost ~19
May76°53° Nice out3 days 90°+
Jun86°63° 11 days 90°+
Jul91°67° 19 days 90°+
Aug88°66° 15 days 90°+
Sep81°56° Nice out6 days 90°+
Oct now68°44° Nice outFirst frost ~19
Nov54°31°
Dec42°22° 3" snow
A normal year

What a year in Bala feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
42° / 21°
6 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
66° / 42°
Last frost around Apr 19
Summer
88° / 65°
54 days reach 90°
Fall
68° / 44°
First frost around Oct 19
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Rain & snow

14 inches of snow, 33 of rain and melt

May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.

33"
Rain + melted snow a year
976th wettest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Less than 70% of U.S. towns
14"
Snow in a normal winter
965th least snowy of 1,996 Kansas towns
Less than 67% of U.S. towns
20 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
348th snowiest of 1,347 Kansas towns
Less than 58% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.9"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

4.6"
JFMAMJJASOND
Frost & heat

About 181 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 19.

121
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
4
nights below 0° in a normal year
54
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

29
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

19
JFMAMJJASOND
Living here

Living with Bala’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.

The garden window

181 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 19.

Snow season

About 14" a winter over 6 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 20 days a year.

Furnace season

Months averaging under 55° run from November through April. Heating is 78% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.

Summer heat

About 54 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 91°.

Get outside

The nicest months are April, May, September and October.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.

Natural hazards →
Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Bala averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).

+0.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 86% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.8°now 31°, was 30°
🌷 Spring+1.0°now 54°, was 53°
☀️ Summer+0.1°now 77°, was 77°
🍂 Fall+0.2°now 56°, was 55°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Compared with other towns

How Bala compares

Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Kansas.

Summer heat91° July high
Hotter than 82% of U.S. towns798th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Winter cold19° January low
Colder than 54% of U.S. towns703rd coldest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Precipitation33" a year
Drier than 70% of U.S. towns976th wettest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow14" a winter
Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns965th least snowy of 1,996 Kansas towns
Growing season181 frost-free days
Longer than 54% of U.S. towns838th shortest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Month by month

Bala 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
January39°19°0.7" 4.6"4723° – 40°
February44°22°1.0" 3.0"4426° – 42°
March56°32°1.9" 1.1"6137° – 57°
April66°41°3.1" 0.5"8046° – 59°
May76°53°4.9" 010058° – 73°
June86°63°4.8" 09069° – 79°
July91°67°4.4" 09074° – 85°
August88°66°4.0" 08071° – 84°
September81°56°2.8" 07063° – 76°
October68°44°2.4" 0.1"6049° – 61°
November54°31°1.5" 1.0"5135° – 51°
December42°22°1.2" 3.4"4720° – 37°
Year66°43°32.8"13.7"7920
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Bala

78% of the work is heating.

78%heating
5,317 heating degree daysLess heating than 60% of U.S. towns
1,467 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 78% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal

Common questions about Bala’s climate

What is the coldest month in Bala?

January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 19°.

What is the hottest month in Bala?

July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 67°. About 54 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Bala get?

About 14 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Bala?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by April 19.

What is the rainiest month in Bala?

May, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bala.

Town Square →
Weigh in
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Ask your neighbors

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bala itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Randolph 4 Wnw, KS (12 mi, snow) and Clay Ctr, KS (10 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.

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