Climate · Franklin

Franklin, KS climate

Franklin has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
89°
280th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
January low
23°
262nd mildest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Rain + melted snow
43 in
116th wettest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow a winter
9 in
355th least snowy of 1,996 Kansas towns
A normal year

What a year in Franklin feels like

Winter

44° / 25°
Typical high / low · 3 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

67° / 45°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 5

Summer

87° / 67°
Typical high / low · 53 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

69° / 47°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 28
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Franklin 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
January41°23°1.4" 3.0"52 26° – 43°
February47°26°1.7" 1.3"51 29° – 46°
March57°36°2.8" 1.5"70 40° – 59°
April67°45°4.5" 080 49° – 62°
May75°55°5.8" 090 60° – 73°
June85°65°5.4" 080 70° – 78°
July89°69°4.5" 070 74° – 86°
August88°67°4.2" 060 71° – 84°
September81°58°4.5" 050 65° – 76°
October69°46°3.5" 0.1"70 51° – 63°
November56°35°2.6" 0.3"50 39° – 54°
December45°26°2.0" 3.0"53 22° – 42°
Year67°46°42.8"9.2"787

“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 Franklin

Franklin gets 43 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 7 days of the year.

43 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 61% of U.S. towns
9 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns
7 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 71% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.8"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
3.0"
Frost & the growing season

About 204 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first one by October 28. That leaves about 204 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 75% of U.S. towns.

101
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
1
nights below 0° in a normal year
53
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 Franklin

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Franklin, 73% of that work is heating and 27% is cooling.

73%heating
4,513 heating degree daysLess heating than 74% of U.S. towns
1,628 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 82% 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 Franklin

Franklin and its neighbors

Franklin borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Blue Mound has the coldest January nights (22°) and Marion the hottest July afternoons (90°). Franklin’s January low is 23° and its July high 89°.

Stanton: January low 23°, July high 89°Freedom: January low 23°, July high 90°Rich: January low 22°, July high 89°Centerville: January low 22°, July high 89°Mound City: January low 23°, July high 89°Marmaton: January low 23°, July high 89°Deer Creek: January low 22°, July high 89°Lone Elm: January low 22°, July high 89°Elsmore: January low 23°, July high 89°Walnut: January low 23°, July high 90°Marmaton: January low 23°, July high 90°Scott: January low 24°, July high 90°Timberhill: January low 23°, July high 90°Blue Mound: January low 22°, July high 89°Osage: January low 22°, July high 89°Marion: January low 23°, July high 90°Mill Creek: January low 23°, July high 89°Franklin: January low 23°, July high 89° FranklinTimberhillBlue MoundOsageMarionMill Creek
ColderMilder22° to 24°
Blue Mound22.3° −0.3°
Osage22.3° −0.3°
Franklin22.6°
Timberhill22.6° same
Marion22.7° +0.1°
Mill Creek23.1° +0.5°

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

Compared with other towns

How Franklin compares

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter than 76% of U.S. towns280th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Winter cold23° January low
Milder than 65% of U.S. towns262nd mildest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Precipitation43" a year
Wetter than 61% of U.S. towns116th wettest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow9" a winter
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns355th least snowy of 1,996 Kansas towns
Growing season204 frost-free days
Longer than 75% of U.S. towns94th longest 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

+0.6°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Franklin averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°). The shift is smaller than in 95% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.6° now 35°, was 33°
🌷 Spring+0.8° now 56°, was 55°
☀️ Summer+0.1° now 77°, was 77°
🍂 Fall−0.2° now 58°, was 58°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Franklin’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. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 22° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Franklin’s climate

What is the coldest month in Franklin?

January, with a typical high of 41° and a low of 23°.

What is the hottest month in Franklin?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 53 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Franklin get?

About 9 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Franklin?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 28, and the last spring frost by April 5.

What is the rainiest month in Franklin?

May, with 5.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 43 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Franklin itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Moran, KS (9 mi, snow) and Ft Scott, KS (20 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.

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