Rural, KS climate
Rural has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Rural feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Rural 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° | 19° | 0.9" | 4.4" | 5 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 23° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 5 | 27° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 34° | 2.3" | 1.2" | 6 | 38° – 59° |
| April | 67° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 9 | 47° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 5.1" | 0 | 9 | 59° – 74° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 5.4" | 0 | 8 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.3" | 0 | 7 | 74° – 86° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 4.5" | 0 | 8 | 71° – 84° |
| September | 80° | 57° | 3.8" | 0 | 7 | 63° – 75° |
| October | 68° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 7 | 50° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 33° | 1.9" | 0.7" | 5 | 37° – 52° |
| December | 43° | 24° | 1.5" | 4.4" | 5 | 20° – 39° |
| Year | 66° | 44° | 37.7" | 14.1" | 80 |
“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 Rural
Rural gets 38 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 80 days a year.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 17. That leaves about 177 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 51% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Rural
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Rural, 77% of that work is heating and 23% 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.
Rural and its neighbors
Rural borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Oskaloosa has the coldest January nights (19°) and Grant the hottest July afternoons (90°). Rural’s January low is 19° and its July high 90°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Rural 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 Rural averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.0°). The shift is smaller than in 79% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Rural’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 Rural’s climate
What is the coldest month in Rural?
January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Rural?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 52 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Rural get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Rural?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by April 21.
What is the rainiest month in Rural?
June, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 38 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Rural itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lecompton, KS (5 mi, snow) and Lawrence Municipal Airport, KS (8 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.