Pawnee, KS climate
Pawnee has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Pawnee feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Pawnee 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 | 42° | 24° | 1.5" | 3.9" | 6 | 27° – 44° |
| February | 48° | 27° | 1.8" | 1.0" | 5 | 30° – 47° |
| March | 58° | 37° | 2.9" | 0.7" | 7 | 41° – 60° |
| April | 68° | 46° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 9 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 6.1" | 0 | 10 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 5.6" | 0 | 9 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.5" | 0 | 7 | 75° – 86° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 3.8" | 0 | 6 | 72° – 85° |
| September | 81° | 59° | 4.5" | 0 | 6 | 65° – 77° |
| October | 70° | 47° | 3.5" | 0 | 7 | 51° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 36° | 2.9" | 0.4" | 6 | 40° – 55° |
| December | 46° | 27° | 2.2" | 2.3" | 5 | 23° – 43° |
| Year | 68° | 47° | 43.8" | 8.4" | 83 |
“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 Pawnee
Pawnee gets 44 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first one by October 28. That leaves about 204 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 75% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Pawnee
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Pawnee, 73% of that work is heating and 27% 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.
Pawnee and its neighbors
Pawnee borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Marmaton has both the coldest January nights (23°) and the hottest July afternoons (90°). Pawnee’s January low is 24° and its July high 90°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Pawnee 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 Pawnee averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.9°). The shift is smaller than in 89% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Pawnee’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 23° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Pawnee’s climate
What is the coldest month in Pawnee?
January, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 24°.
What is the hottest month in Pawnee?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 53 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Pawnee get?
About 8 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Pawnee?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 28, and the last spring frost by April 5.
What is the rainiest month in Pawnee?
May, with 6.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 44 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Pawnee itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ft Scott, KS (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.