Bell has chilly winters and hot summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Bell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bell’s climate
Read from where Bell sits among Kansas’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
9 inches of snow, 28 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Bell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 190 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 23.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Bell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
190 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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 23.
About 9" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through April. Heating is 76% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 64 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 93°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October. 7.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Bell and its neighbors
Valley has the coldest January nights next door (20°) and Valley the hottest July afternoons (93°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bell averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 91% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Bell compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Kansas.
Bell weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 20° | 0.7" | 3.3" | 4 | 3 | 26° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 23° | 1.0" | 2.6" | 4 | 3 | 28° – 44° |
| March | 58° | 33° | 1.9" | 0.7" | 6 | 1 | 38° – 56° |
| April | 67° | 42° | 2.3" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 53° | 4.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 57° – 72° |
| June | 88° | 63° | 4.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 93° | 68° | 3.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 75° – 88° |
| August | 90° | 66° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| September | 82° | 57° | 2.1" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 44° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 31° | 1.2" | 0.6" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 44° | 23° | 1.0" | 1.8" | 4 | 3 | 24° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 43° | 28.4" | 9.3" | 75 | 11 |
Heating and cooling a home in Bell
76% of the work is heating.
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.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Bell’s climate
What is the coldest month in Bell?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 20°.
What is the hottest month in Bell?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 68°. About 64 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Bell get?
About 9 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Bell?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 15.
What is the rainiest month in Bell?
May, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bell.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bell itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Sterling, KS (11 mi) away. 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.