St
Francis has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in St. Francis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Francis’s climate
Read from where St. Francis sits among Kansas’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
20 inches of snow, 18 of rain and melt
July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Living with St. Francis’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
160 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 10.
About 20" a winter over 8 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 12 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 84% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 61 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 92°.
The nicest months are May and September.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in St. Francis averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 10.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
What a year in St. Francis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
How St. Francis compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Kansas.
St. Francis 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 | 43° | 17° | 0.4" | 4.6" | 3 | 3 | 19° – 39° |
| February | 46° | 19° | 0.5" | 4.5" | 3 | 3 | 24° – 40° |
| March | 57° | 27° | 0.8" | 2.9" | 4 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| April | 65° | 35° | 1.7" | 1.7" | 6 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 75° | 46° | 2.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 86° | 56° | 2.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 92° | 62° | 3.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 60° | 2.7" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 81° | 50° | 1.5" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| October | 68° | 37° | 1.3" | 0.9" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.6" | 2.0" | 3 | 1 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 17° | 0.5" | 2.9" | 2 | 3 | 23° – 36° |
| Year | 67° | 38° | 18.2" | 19.8" | 60 | 12 |
Heating and cooling a home in St. Francis
84% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 39°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about St. Francis’s climate
What is the coldest month in St. Francis?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 17°.
What is the hottest month in St. Francis?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 62°. About 61 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does St. Francis get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in St. Francis?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 10, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in St. Francis?
July, with 3.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Francis.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for St. Francis itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Saint Francis, KS (1 mi) away. 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.