Summer arrives in force in Cedar Vale, hotter than in 86% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 23°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 64% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Cedar Vale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cedar Vale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cedar Vale’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Cedar Vale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sedan, KS, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cedar Vale’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cedar Vale 5sse, KS, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cedar Vale
73% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sedan, KS.
Living with Cedar Vale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
199 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 9 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cedar Vale from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cedar Vale and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cedar Vale yet.
Climates most like Cedar Vale’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Vale, KS | 23° | 92° | 39" | 8.5" |
| Clinton, MO | 22° | 89° | 42" | 11" |
| Columbia, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 8.8" |
| Purcell, OK | 28° | 94° | 38" | 4.1" |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 25° | 89° | 43" | 11" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cedar Vale averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Cedar Vale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cedar Vale’s place among Kansas’.
Cedar Vale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cedar Vale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cedar Vale 5sse, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 23° | 1.1" | 2.1" | 4 | 2 | 29° – 44° |
| February | 51° | 26° | 1.6" | 1.7" | 5 | 1 | 31° – 47° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 2.7" | 1.3" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 59° |
| April | 70° | 45° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| July | 92° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 88° |
| August | 91° | 67° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 86° |
| September | 83° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| November | 59° | 35° | 2.0" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| December | 48° | 26° | 1.7" | 3.1" | 4 | 3 | 25° – 42° |
| Year | 70° | 46° | 39.0" | 8.5" | 76 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Cedar Vale’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Cedar Vale’s center.
- Snow: Cedar Vale 5sse, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sedan, KS, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Cedar Vale’s climate
What is the weather like in Cedar Vale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cedar Vale in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Cedar Vale get?
About 8.5 inches in a normal winter at Cedar Vale 5sse, KS, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cedar Vale?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 69°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Sedan, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Cedar Vale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 199 frost-free days, at Sedan, KS.
What growing zone is Cedar Vale in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cedar Vale?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cedar Vale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cedar Vale.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.