Climate · Cook

Cook, KS climate

Cook has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
91°
966th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
January low
17°
265th coldest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Rain + melted snow
22 in
168th driest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow a winter
17 in
473rd snowiest of 1,996 Kansas towns
A normal year

What a year in Cook feels like

Winter

44° / 18°
Typical high / low · 6 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

65° / 37°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 30

Summer

89° / 60°
Typical high / low · 55 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

68° / 39°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 11
Best months to be outsideMaySepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Cook 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
January42°17°0.4" 2.8"22 19° – 40°
February46°19°0.6" 4.3"22 22° – 40°
March57°28°1.1" 1.9"31 35° – 52°
April65°36°2.0" 1.8"40 46° – 56°
May75°46°3.2" 0.1"70 52° – 66°
June86°57°3.1" 070 66° – 77°
July91°63°3.6" 070 72° – 82°
August88°61°3.1" 060 69° – 80°
September81°52°1.7" 040 59° – 73°
October68°39°1.6" 1.0"40 45° – 59°
November54°26°0.7" 1.9"20 30° – 47°
December44°18°0.6" 3.6"22 23° – 36°
Year66°38°21.6"17.4"507

“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 Cook

Cook gets 22 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 50 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 7 days of the year.

22 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 87% of U.S. towns
17 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 61% of U.S. towns
7 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 70% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
4.3"
Frost & the growing season

About 163 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 11. That leaves about 163 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 68% of U.S. towns.

164
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
8
nights below 0° in a normal year
55
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 Cook

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cook, 84% of that work is heating and 16% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

84%heating
5,807 heating degree daysMore heating than 51% of U.S. towns
1,137 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 66% 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 Cook

Cook and its neighbors

Cook borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.2°. Prairie Dog has both the coldest January nights (17°) and the hottest July afternoons (91°). Cook’s January low is 17° and its July high 91°.

Dresden: January low 17°, July high 91°Summit: January low 17°, July high 91°Sappa: January low 16°, July high 91°Achilles: January low 17°, July high 91°Herl: January low 16°, July high 91°Wendell: January low 17°, July high 91°Prairie Dog: January low 17°, July high 91°Bassettville: January low 17°, July high 91°Jefferson: January low 17°, July high 91°Cook: January low 17°, July high 91° CookPrairie DogBassettvilleJefferson
ColderMilder16° to 17°
Prairie Dog16.5° −0.2°
Bassettville16.5° −0.2°
Jefferson16.6° −0.1°
Cook16.7°

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

Compared with other towns

How Cook compares

Summer heat91° July high
Hotter than 84% of U.S. towns966th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Winter cold17° January low
Colder than 63% of U.S. towns265th coldest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Precipitation22" a year
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns168th driest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow17" a winter
Less snow than 61% of U.S. towns473rd snowiest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Growing season163 frost-free days
Shorter than 68% of U.S. towns128th 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

+1.1°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Cook averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°). The shift is smaller than in 62% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.2° now 31°, was 29°
🌷 Spring+1.2° now 51°, was 50°
☀️ Summer+0.2° now 74°, was 74°
🍂 Fall+0.7° now 53°, was 53°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cook’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. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 19° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Cook’s climate

What is the coldest month in Cook?

January, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 17°.

What is the hottest month in Cook?

July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 63°. About 55 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Cook get?

About 17 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Cook?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 11, and the last spring frost by April 30.

What is the rainiest month in Cook?

July, with 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 22 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cook itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Rexford, KS (10 mi, snow) and Oberlin, KS (17 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 door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Cook, KSDecatur CountyView boundary

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