Climate · Harrison

Harrison, KS climate

Harrison has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
89°
316th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
January low
21°
616th mildest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Rain + melted snow
39 in
283rd 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 Harrison feels like

Winter

43° / 24°
Typical high / low · 4 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

66° / 44°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 18

Summer

87° / 66°
Typical high / low · 47 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

68° / 46°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 20
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Harrison weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January40°21°1.1" 3.2"7 24° – 41°
February46°25°1.5" 2.1"6 27° – 45°
March56°35°2.4" 0.7"8 38° – 59°
April66°44°3.9" 010 48° – 61°
May76°54°5.6" 013 60° – 73°
June85°64°5.5" 010 69° – 78°
July89°68°4.0" 09 74° – 86°
August88°67°4.3" 09 71° – 85°
September80°58°4.1" 08 64° – 75°
October69°46°3.3" 0.1"9 50° – 61°
November55°34°2.2" 0.5"7 38° – 52°
December44°25°1.6" 2.6"6 21° – 41°
Year66°45°39.5"9.2"102

“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 Harrison

Harrison gets 39 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.

39 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 51% of U.S. towns
9 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns
102 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
3.2"
Frost & the growing season

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 20. That leaves about 183 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 56% of U.S. towns.

111
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2
nights below 0° in a normal year
47
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 Harrison

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Harrison, 79% of that work is heating and 21% is cooling.

79%heating
5,130 heating degree daysLess heating than 63% of U.S. towns
1,337 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 73% 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 Harrison

Harrison and its neighbors

Harrison borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Ottawa has the coldest January nights (20°) and Ottawa the hottest July afternoons (90°). Harrison’s January low is 21° and its July high 89°.

Lincoln: January low 21°, July high 89°Hayes: January low 21°, July high 89°Centropolis: January low 21°, July high 89°Pottawatomie: January low 21°, July high 89°Osawatomie: January low 21°, July high 89°Stanton: January low 21°, July high 89°Franklin: January low 21°, July high 89°Richland: January low 21°, July high 89°Ottawa: January low 21°, July high 90°Ottawa: January low 20°, July high 90°Cutler: January low 21°, July high 89°Peoria: January low 21°, July high 89°Harrison: January low 21°, July high 89° HarrisonOttawaOttawaCutlerPeoria
ColderMilder20° to 21°
Ottawa20.4° −0.4°
Ottawa20.6° −0.2°
Peoria20.6° −0.2°
Harrison20.8°
Cutler21.2° +0.4°

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

Compared with other towns

How Harrison compares

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter than 76% of U.S. towns316th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Winter cold21° January low
Milder than 57% of U.S. towns616th mildest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Precipitation39" a year
Drier than 51% of U.S. towns283rd 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 season183 frost-free days
Longer than 56% of U.S. towns994th 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

+0.7°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Harrison averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 91% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.7° now 33°, was 32°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 55°, was 54°
☀️ Summer+0.2° now 77°, was 77°
🍂 Fall−0.0° now 57°, was 57°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Harrison’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. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 38° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Harrison’s climate

What is the coldest month in Harrison?

January, with a typical high of 40° and a low of 21°.

What is the hottest month in Harrison?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 47 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Harrison get?

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

When is the first frost in Harrison?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by April 18.

What is the rainiest month in Harrison?

May, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 39 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Harrison itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ottawa, KS (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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