Mission, KS climate
Mission has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Mission feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Mission 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 | 39° | 20° | 0.9" | 3.1" | 4 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 24° | 1.2" | 2.9" | 5 | 27° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 33° | 2.3" | 0.8" | 7 | 38° – 58° |
| April | 66° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 8 | 48° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 5.3" | 0 | 10 | 59° – 74° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 5.1" | 0 | 9 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.1" | 0 | 7 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 71° – 85° |
| September | 80° | 57° | 3.6" | 0 | 7 | 63° – 76° |
| October | 68° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.5" | 7 | 50° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 33° | 1.9" | 1.0" | 5 | 37° – 52° |
| December | 43° | 23° | 1.5" | 3.6" | 4 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 66° | 44° | 36.8" | 12.3" | 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 and snow in Mission
Mission 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.
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 191 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 65% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Mission
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Mission, 76% of that work is heating and 24% 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.
Mission and its neighbors
Mission borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.3°. Silver Lake has both the coldest January nights (18°) and the hottest July afternoons (90°). Mission’s January low is 20° and its July high 89°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Mission 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 Mission averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 68% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Mission’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 38° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Mission’s climate
What is the coldest month in Mission?
January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 20°.
What is the hottest month in Mission?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 50 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Mission get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Mission?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 12.
What is the rainiest month in Mission?
May, with 5.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Mission itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Auburn, KS (6 mi, snow) and Topeka Municipal Airport, 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.