Dorrance, KS climate
Dorrance has chilly winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade6° cooler than normal today. The forecast high is 69°, and a typical Oct 1 in Dorrance peaks around 75°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Dorrance feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Dorrance 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 | 42° | 19° | 0.6" | 1.8" | 3 | 4 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 22° | 0.8" | 3.7" | 4 | 4 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 32° | 1.4" | 0.7" | 5 | 1 | 37° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 40° | 2.2" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.3" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 87° | 62° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| July | 93° | 67° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 65° | 3.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 56° | 2.3" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 43° | 1.8" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 1.0" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 50° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 0.9" | 2.5" | 3 | 3 | 23° – 38° |
| Year | 67° | 42° | 26.6" | 9.6" | 76 | 12 |
“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 Dorrance
Dorrance gets 27 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 12 days of the year.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 17. That leaves about 179 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 51% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Dorrance
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Dorrance, 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.
Dorrance and its neighbors
Dorrance borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Center has both the coldest January nights (19°) and the hottest July afternoons (93°). Dorrance’s January low is 19° and its July high 93°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Dorrance 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 Dorrance averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°). The shift is smaller than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Dorrance’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 37° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Dorrance’s climate
What is the coldest month in Dorrance?
January, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Dorrance?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 67°. About 62 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Dorrance get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Dorrance?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by April 21.
What is the rainiest month in Dorrance?
May, with 4.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 27 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Dorrance itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wilson Lake, KS (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.