Bern, KS climate
Bern has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Bern feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Bern 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 | 36° | 16° | 0.7" | 5.8" | 5 | 13 | 19° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 20° | 1.1" | 8.6" | 5 | 10 | 21° – 41° |
| March | 54° | 30° | 2.1" | 1.8" | 8 | 3 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 40° | 3.2" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 52° | 5.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 57° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.6" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 4.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 3.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.1" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| October | 67° | 42° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 30° | 1.7" | 1.6" | 5 | 1 | 33° – 50° |
| December | 40° | 20° | 1.2" | 5.8" | 5 | 7 | 17° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 33.5" | 24.2" | 86 | 34 |
“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 and snow in Bern
Bern gets 34 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 34 days of the year.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 173 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 57% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Bern
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Bern, 84% of that work is heating and 16% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
How Bern compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bern averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 92% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Bern’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 34° to 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Bern’s climate
What is the coldest month in Bern?
January, with a typical high of 36° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Bern?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 40 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Bern get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Bern?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by April 22.
What is the rainiest month in Bern?
May, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 34 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bern itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Salem 5sw, NE (11 mi, snow) and Pawnee City, NE (14 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.