Clay Center, KS climate
Clay Center has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Clay Center feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Clay Center 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 | 39° | 18° | 0.7" | 3.1" | 4 | 9 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 22° | 1.0" | 2.0" | 4 | 4 | 25° – 42° |
| March | 56° | 32° | 1.8" | 0.8" | 6 | 1 | 36° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 4.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 4.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 91° | 67° | 4.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 65° | 3.9" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| September | 81° | 56° | 2.8" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 62° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 43° | 2.3" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| November | 54° | 31° | 1.4" | 0.9" | 5 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| December | 42° | 21° | 1.1" | 3.2" | 4 | 4 | 20° – 36° |
| Year | 66° | 43° | 31.7" | 10.8" | 78 | 19 |
“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 Clay Center
Clay 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 78 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 19 days of the year.
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.
Heating and cooling a home in Clay Center
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Clay Center, 78% of that work is heating and 22% is cooling.
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 Clay Center 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 Clay Center averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 86% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Clay Center’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 36° to 57°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Clay Center’s climate
What is the coldest month in Clay Center?
January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Clay Center?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 67°. About 54 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Clay Center get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay Center itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Clay Ctr, KS (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.