Elk, KS climate
Elk has chilly winters and warm summers. 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 decade9° cooler than normal today. The forecast high is 65°, and a typical Oct 2 in Elk peaks around 74°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Elk feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Elk 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 17° | 0.7" | 4.1" | 4 | 22° – 40° |
| February | 44° | 21° | 1.0" | 5.0" | 4 | 23° – 42° |
| March | 56° | 31° | 1.7" | 1.2" | 7 | 36° – 56° |
| April | 66° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.5" | 8 | 46° – 59° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 4.7" | 0 | 10 | 57° – 72° |
| June | 86° | 62° | 4.1" | 0 | 9 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 91° | 67° | 4.3" | 0 | 9 | 74° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 65° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 71° – 84° |
| September | 81° | 56° | 2.9" | 0 | 7 | 62° – 75° |
| October | 68° | 43° | 2.1" | 0.2" | 6 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 54° | 30° | 1.3" | 1.7" | 5 | 34° – 50° |
| December | 41° | 21° | 1.0" | 4.0" | 4 | 19° – 36° |
| Year | 66° | 42° | 30.5" | 16.7" | 80 |
“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 Elk
Elk gets 30 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 80 days a year.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first one by October 19. That leaves about 183 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 56% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Elk
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Elk, 79% of that work is heating and 21% 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.
Elk and its neighbors
Elk borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Elk Creek has the coldest January nights (17°) and Lawrence the hottest July afternoons (91°). Elk’s January low is 17° and its July high 91°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Elk 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 Elk averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°). The shift is smaller than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Elk’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 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Elk’s climate
What is the coldest month in Elk?
January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Elk?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 67°. About 50 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Elk get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Elk?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by April 18.
What is the rainiest month in Elk?
May, with 4.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 30 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Elk itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Clifton, KS (8 mi, snow) and Concordia Municipal Airport, KS (13 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.