Great Bend, KS climate
Great Bend has chilly winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Great Bend feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Great Bend 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 | 43° | 19° | 0.7" | 2.2" | 3 | 6 | 24° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 23° | 0.9" | 2.6" | 4 | 4 | 27° – 43° |
| March | 58° | 32° | 1.6" | 2.3" | 6 | 2 | 38° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 41° | 2.0" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 87° | 62° | 3.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 92° | 67° | 3.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 65° | 3.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 56° | 2.1" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 43° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| November | 56° | 30° | 1.0" | 1.7" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| December | 44° | 22° | 1.0" | 2.3" | 4 | 5 | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 43° | 26.7" | 11.5" | 73 | 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 Great Bend
Great Bend 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 73 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 19 days of the year.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 172 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 58% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Great Bend
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Great Bend, 80% of that work is heating and 20% 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.
Great Bend and its neighbors
Great Bend borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.4°. Great Bend has the coldest January nights (19°) and Buffalo the hottest July afternoons (92°). Great Bend’s January low is 19° and its July high 92°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Great Bend 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 Great Bend averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°). The shift is smaller than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Great Bend’s spot on NOAA’s grid
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 24° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Great Bend’s climate
What is the coldest month in Great Bend?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Great Bend?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 67°. About 70 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Great Bend get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Great Bend?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by April 24.
What is the rainiest month in Great Bend?
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 Great Bend itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Great Bend 3w, KS (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.