Oxford has chilly winters and hot summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Oxford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oxford’s climate
Read from where Oxford sits among Kansas’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
4 inches of snow, 37 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Oxford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 195 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 29.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Oxford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
195 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 29.
About 4" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 73% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 67 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 93°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October. 4.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Oxford and its neighbors
Palestine has the coldest January nights next door (23°) and Valverde the hottest July afternoons (93°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Oxford averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 76% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Oxford compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Kansas.
Oxford 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 | 45° | 23° | 0.9" | 1.1" | 4 | 1 | 29° – 44° |
| February | 50° | 27° | 1.4" | 0.5" | 5 | 1 | 32° – 47° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 2.6" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| April | 70° | 45° | 3.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 5.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 65° | 5.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| July | 93° | 70° | 4.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 76° – 89° |
| August | 91° | 68° | 4.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 73° – 87° |
| September | 83° | 60° | 3.2" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.4" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 1.8" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| December | 47° | 26° | 1.4" | 1.5" | 5 | 1 | 25° – 42° |
| Year | 70° | 46° | 37.5" | 3.6" | 83 | 3 |
Heating and cooling a home in Oxford
73% of the work is heating.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Common questions about Oxford’s climate
What is the coldest month in Oxford?
January, with a typical high of 45° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Oxford?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 70°. About 67 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Oxford get?
About 4 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Oxford?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 29, and the last spring frost by April 15.
What is the rainiest month in Oxford?
May, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oxford.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Oxford itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Oxford, KS (1 mi, snow) and Wellington, KS (12 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.