Palmer, KS climate
Palmer has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Palmer feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Palmer 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° | 18° | 0.7" | 3.2" | 4 | 22° – 40° |
| February | 43° | 21° | 1.0" | 2.9" | 4 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 55° | 31° | 1.8" | 0.3" | 5 | 35° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 7 | 45° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 52° | 4.6" | 0 | 9 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 86° | 62° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 68° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 67° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 74° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 65° | 3.8" | 0 | 8 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.0" | 0 | 6 | 61° – 75° |
| October | 68° | 43° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 6 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 30° | 1.4" | 1.1" | 4 | 33° – 50° |
| December | 41° | 21° | 1.1" | 1.6" | 3 | 19° – 36° |
| Year | 65° | 42° | 31.2" | 9.4" | 71 |
“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 Palmer
Palmer gets 31 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 71 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 Palmer
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Palmer, 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.
How Palmer 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 Palmer averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°). The shift is smaller than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Palmer’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 Palmer’s climate
What is the coldest month in Palmer?
January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Palmer?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 67°. About 55 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Palmer get?
About 9 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Palmer?
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 Palmer?
May, with 4.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 31 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Palmer itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Fact 3w, KS (7 mi, snow) and Washington, KS (13 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.