Valley has chilly winters and hot summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Valley’s climate
Read from where Valley sits among Kansas’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Valley averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
What a year in Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
15 inches of snow, 28 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 16.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
175 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 16.
About 15" a winter over 5 days with an inch or more, most in January.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through April. Heating is 78% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 63 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 92°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Valley and its neighbors
Farmer has the coldest January nights next door (19°) and Farmer the hottest July afternoons (92°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How Valley compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Kansas.
Valley 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° | 20° | 0.7" | 4.4" | 3 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 23° | 1.1" | 4.0" | 3 | 26° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 32° | 1.7" | 1.9" | 5 | 37° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 41° | 2.3" | 0.3" | 6 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 4.3" | 0 | 8 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 87° | 62° | 3.9" | 0 | 6 | 68° – 79° |
| July | 92° | 67° | 4.0" | 0 | 7 | 76° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 65° | 3.8" | 0 | 6 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 57° | 2.4" | 0 | 5 | 64° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 2.0" | 0 | 5 | 49° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 1.1" | 0.9" | 3 | 36° – 50° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 1.0" | 3.8" | 3 | 24° – 38° |
| Year | 67° | 43° | 28.3" | 15.3" | 58 |
Heating and cooling a home in Valley
78% of the work is heating.
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 24° to 42°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Valley’s climate
What is the coldest month in Valley?
January, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 20°.
What is the hottest month in Valley?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 67°. About 63 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Valley get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Valley?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 16, and the last spring frost by April 23.
What is the rainiest month in Valley?
May, with 4.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Valley.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Valley itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Claflin, KS (6 mi, snow) and Ellsworth, KS (16 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.