Hays, KS climate
Hays has chilly winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Hays feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Hays 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° | 18° | 0.6" | 3.4" | 3 | 7 | 22° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 21° | 0.8" | 4.8" | 4 | 7 | 24° – 43° |
| March | 58° | 31° | 1.3" | 2.1" | 5 | 2 | 37° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 39° | 2.2" | 0.5" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| May | 77° | 50° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 88° | 61° | 3.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 93° | 66° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 64° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 55° | 2.0" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 42° | 1.8" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| November | 56° | 29° | 0.9" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 21° | 0.8" | 3.3" | 4 | 5 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 68° | 41° | 25.1" | 15.8" | 74 | 23 |
“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 Hays
Hays gets 25 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 23 days of the year.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 171 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 59% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Hays
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Hays, 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.
Hays and its neighbors
Hays borders 1 town with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Big Creek has both the coldest January nights (19°) and the hottest July afternoons (93°). Hays’s January low is 18° and its July high 93°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Hays 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 Hays averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°). The shift is smaller than in 58% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Hays’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 22° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Hays’s climate
What is the coldest month in Hays?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Hays?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 66°. About 66 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Hays get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Hays?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by April 25.
What is the rainiest month in Hays?
July, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 25 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Hays itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Hays 1 S, KS (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.