Reading, KS climate
Reading has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Reading feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Reading 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 | 41° | 20° | 0.9" | 5.5" | 4 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 24° | 1.4" | 4.1" | 4 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 2.4" | 1.0" | 6 | 38° – 59° |
| April | 67° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.3" | 8 | 48° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 5.4" | 0 | 10 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.7" | 0 | 7 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 75° – 86° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 4.0" | 0 | 7 | 71° – 85° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.7" | 0 | 6 | 63° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 6 | 50° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 33° | 2.0" | 1.4" | 4 | 38° – 52° |
| December | 44° | 24° | 1.5" | 3.9" | 4 | 21° – 40° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 36.8" | 16.3" | 73 |
“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 Reading
Reading 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 73 days a year.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first one by October 30. That leaves about 202 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 73% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Reading
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Reading, 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.
How Reading 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 Reading averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°). The shift is smaller than in 62% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Reading’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 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Reading’s climate
What is the coldest month in Reading?
January, with a typical high of 41° and a low of 20°.
What is the hottest month in Reading?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 48 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Reading get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Reading?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 30, and the last spring frost by April 8.
What is the rainiest month in Reading?
May, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Reading itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Miller 4 Ssw, KS (5 mi, snow) and Melvern Lake, KS (14 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.