Liberal, KS climate
Liberal has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Liberal feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Liberal 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 | 48° | 21° | 0.5" | 3.5" | 2 | 2 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 52° | 23° | 0.4" | 1.8" | 2 | 2 | 31° – 45° |
| March | 61° | 32° | 1.2" | 2.3" | 4 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| April | 70° | 40° | 1.7" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| May | 79° | 51° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 89° | 61° | 3.1" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 93° | 66° | 2.9" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| August | 91° | 64° | 2.9" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 56° | 1.4" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 43° | 1.9" | 0.7" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 30° | 0.6" | 1.0" | 3 | 1 | 37° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 22° | 0.8" | 4.6" | 3 | 2 | 30° – 39° |
| Year | 70° | 42° | 19.6" | 14.4" | 53 | 8 |
“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 Liberal
Liberal gets 20 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 8 days of the year.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first one by October 24. That leaves about 186 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 59% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Liberal
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Liberal, 77% of that work is heating and 23% 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.
Liberal and its neighbors
Liberal borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Seward has the coldest January nights (20°) and Fargo the hottest July afternoons (94°). Liberal’s January low is 21° and its July high 93°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Liberal 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 Liberal averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°). The shift is smaller than in 73% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Liberal’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 27° to 42°. December is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Liberal’s climate
What is the coldest month in Liberal?
January, with a typical high of 48° and a low of 21°.
What is the hottest month in Liberal?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 66°. About 81 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Liberal get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Liberal?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 24, and the last spring frost by April 20.
What is the rainiest month in Liberal?
June, with 3.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 20 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Liberal itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Liberal, KS (7 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.