Climate · Jefferson

Jefferson, KS climate

Jefferson has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
88°
95th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
January low
19°
774th coldest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Rain + melted snow
37 in
470th wettest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow a winter
16 in
644th snowiest of 1,996 Kansas towns
A normal year

What a year in Jefferson feels like

Winter

41° / 22°
Typical high / low · 5 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

65° / 43°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 16

Summer

86° / 66°
Typical high / low · 37 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

66° / 45°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 22
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Jefferson weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January38°19°0.9" 4.7"4 22° – 39°
February43°23°1.3" 4.5"4 25° – 43°
March55°33°2.3" 1.6"6 37° – 58°
April65°43°3.8" 0.1"8 46° – 60°
May75°54°5.1" 09 59° – 73°
June84°64°5.1" 09 69° – 78°
July88°68°4.6" 08 73° – 85°
August87°66°4.4" 07 70° – 82°
September79°57°3.5" 07 62° – 74°
October67°45°3.0" 0.5"6 50° – 61°
November53°33°1.9" 1.1"5 36° – 51°
December41°23°1.4" 3.9"4 19° – 38°
Year65°44°37.4"16.4"79

“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 Jefferson

Jefferson gets 37 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.

37 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 59% of U.S. towns
16 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 63% of U.S. towns
79 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.1"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
4.7"
Frost & the growing season

About 188 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first one by October 22. That leaves about 188 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 62% of U.S. towns.

113
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
5
nights below 0° in a normal year
37
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 Jefferson

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

79%heating
5,193 heating degree daysLess heating than 62% of U.S. towns
1,394 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 76% 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 Jefferson

Jefferson and its neighbors

Jefferson borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.9°. Delaware has both the coldest January nights (18°) and the hottest July afternoons (89°). Jefferson’s January low is 19° and its July high 88°.

Center: January low 19°, July high 88°Mount Pleasant: January low 19°, July high 88°Benton: January low 18°, July high 88°Alexandria: January low 19°, July high 89°Sarcoxie: January low 20°, July high 89°Tonganoxie: January low 20°, July high 89°Kickapoo: January low 20°, July high 88°Walnut: January low 19°, July high 89°Rural: January low 19°, July high 90°Fairview: January low 19°, July high 89°Ozawkie: January low 19°, July high 89°Kentucky: January low 19°, July high 89°Rock Creek: January low 19°, July high 89°Kapioma: January low 18°, July high 89°Norton: January low 19°, July high 88°Union: January low 20°, July high 89°Easton: January low 19°, July high 88°Oskaloosa: January low 19°, July high 89°Delaware: January low 18°, July high 89°Jefferson: January low 19°, July high 88° JeffersonNortonUnionEastonOskaloosaDelaware
ColderMilder18° to 20°
Delaware17.9° −1.1°
Norton18.8° −0.2°
Jefferson19.0°
Easton19.2° +0.2°
Oskaloosa19.2° +0.2°
Union19.8° +0.8°

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

Compared with other towns

How Jefferson compares

Summer heat88° July high
Hotter than 72% of U.S. towns95th coolest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Winter cold19° January low
Colder than 52% of U.S. towns774th coldest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Precipitation37" a year
Drier than 59% of U.S. towns470th wettest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Snow16" a winter
Less snow than 63% of U.S. towns644th snowiest of 1,996 Kansas towns
Growing season188 frost-free days
Longer than 62% of U.S. towns759th 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

+0.9°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Jefferson averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 75% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.8° now 31°, was 29°
🌷 Spring+1.2° now 54°, was 53°
☀️ Summer+0.5° now 76°, was 76°
🍂 Fall+0.2° now 56°, was 55°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Jefferson’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 37° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Jefferson’s climate

What is the coldest month in Jefferson?

January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 19°.

What is the hottest month in Jefferson?

July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 37 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Jefferson get?

About 16 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Jefferson?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 22, and the last spring frost by April 16.

What is the rainiest month in Jefferson?

May, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Jefferson itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Oskaloosa 4 Ne, KS (7 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The coffee’s on

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