Climate · Center

Center, KS climate

Center has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
91°
752nd coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
January low
18°
472nd coldest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Rain + melted snow
32 in
990th driest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow a winter
14 in
965th least snowy of 1,996 Kansas towns
A normal year

What a year in Center feels like

Winter

41° / 20°
Typical high / low · 6 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

66° / 41°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 19

Summer

88° / 65°
Typical high / low · 54 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

67° / 43°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 19
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Center 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°18°0.7" 4.6"47 22° – 40°
February44°21°1.0" 3.0"44 24° – 41°
March56°31°1.9" 1.1"61 36° – 56°
April66°41°3.1" 0.5"80 46° – 59°
May76°52°4.8" 0100 58° – 72°
June86°62°4.7" 090 69° – 79°
July91°67°4.5" 090 74° – 85°
August88°65°3.9" 080 71° – 84°
September81°56°2.9" 070 62° – 75°
October68°43°2.4" 0.1"60 48° – 61°
November54°31°1.5" 1.0"51 34° – 50°
December42°21°1.2" 3.4"47 19° – 37°
Year66°42°32.5"13.7"7920

“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 Center

Center gets 32 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 20 days of the year.

32 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 71% of U.S. towns
14 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 67% of U.S. towns
20 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 58% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.8"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
4.6"
Frost & the growing season

About 181 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first one by October 19. That leaves about 181 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 54% of U.S. towns.

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°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Center

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Center, 78% of that work is heating and 22% is cooling.

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

Around Center

Center and its neighbors

Center borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.1°. Jackson has both the coldest January nights (18°) and the hottest July afternoons (91°). Center’s January low is 18° and its July high 91°.

Bala: January low 19°, July high 90°Sherman: January low 18°, July high 90°Swede Creek: January low 17°, July high 90°Lincoln: January low 18°, July high 90°Blue Valley: January low 18°, July high 89°Fancy Creek: January low 19°, July high 90°May Day: January low 18°, July high 90°Jackson: January low 18°, July high 91°Center: January low 18°, July high 91° CenterFancy CreekMay DayJackson
ColderMilder17° to 19°
Jackson17.5° −0.1°
Center17.6°
May Day17.7° +0.1°
Fancy Creek18.6° +1.0°

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

Compared with other towns

How Center compares

Summer heat91° July high
Hotter than 82% of U.S. towns752nd coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Winter cold18° January low
Colder than 58% of U.S. towns472nd coldest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Precipitation32" a year
Drier than 71% of U.S. towns990th driest 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

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

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Center averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 87% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.8° now 31°, was 29°
🌷 Spring+1.0° now 54°, was 53°
☀️ Summer+0.1° now 77°, was 76°
🍂 Fall+0.2° now 55°, was 55°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Center’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. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 36° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Center’s climate

What is the coldest month in Center?

January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 18°.

What is the hottest month in Center?

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

How much snow does Center get?

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

When is the first frost in Center?

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 Center?

May, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 32 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Center itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Randolph 4 Wnw, KS (3 mi, snow) and Clay Ctr, KS (15 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Center, KSRiley CountyView boundary

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