Little Blue, KS climate
Little Blue has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Little Blue feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Little Blue 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 17° | 0.7" | 5.6" | 4 | 21° – 40° |
| February | 43° | 20° | 1.1" | 4.1" | 4 | 22° – 41° |
| March | 55° | 31° | 1.9" | 1.7" | 7 | 35° – 56° |
| April | 66° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 8 | 45° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 51° | 4.8" | 0 | 11 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 86° | 62° | 4.4" | 0 | 8 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 67° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 74° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 64° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 55° | 3.1" | 0 | 6 | 61° – 74° |
| October | 68° | 42° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 6 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 30° | 1.4" | 1.8" | 4 | 33° – 50° |
| December | 41° | 20° | 1.1" | 3.8" | 4 | 19° – 36° |
| Year | 65° | 42° | 31.6" | 17.4" | 78 |
“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 Little Blue
Little Blue gets 32 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first one by October 14. That leaves about 171 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 59% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Little Blue
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Little Blue, 81% of that work is heating and 19% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
Little Blue and its neighbors
Little Blue borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Hanover has the coldest January nights (17°) and Barnes the hottest July afternoons (90°). Little Blue’s January low is 17° and its July high 90°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Little Blue 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 Little Blue averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°). The shift is smaller than in 78% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Little Blue’s spot on NOAA’s grid
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 35° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Little Blue’s climate
What is the coldest month in Little Blue?
January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in Little Blue?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 67°. About 55 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Little Blue get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Little Blue?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 14, and the last spring frost by April 24.
What is the rainiest month in Little Blue?
May, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 32 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Little Blue itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Herkimer, KS (11 mi, snow) and Washington, KS (10 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.