Photo: CommunicationsDeSoto · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer arrives in force in De Soto, hotter than in 73% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 20°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 64% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in De Soto at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about De Soto’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with De Soto’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in De Soto feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 193 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Olathe Johnson Co Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts De Soto’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tonganoxie 5se, KS, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in De Soto
78% 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 Olathe Johnson Co Airport.
Living with De Soto’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 13 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in De Soto from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →De Soto and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of De Soto in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like De Soto’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Soto, KS | 20° | 89° | 39" | 12" |
| Troy, MO | 21° | 88° | 41" | 16" |
| Granite City, IL | 23° | 89° | 42" | 11" |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 25° | 89° | 43" | 11" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in De Soto averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 De Soto compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with De Soto’s place among Kansas’.
De Soto weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at De Soto’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tonganoxie 5se, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 20° | 1.1" | 4.0" | 5 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 24° | 1.5" | 2.9" | 5 | 26° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 34° | 2.4" | 1.3" | 7 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 66° | 44° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 48° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 74° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 74° – 86° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 84° |
| September | 80° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 76° |
| October | 68° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 50° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 34° | 2.1" | 0.7" | 5 | 37° – 52° |
| December | 43° | 24° | 1.6" | 3.2" | 5 | 20° – 40° |
| Year | 66° | 45° | 38.8" | 12.2" | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where De Soto’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 De Soto’s center.
- Snow: Tonganoxie 5se, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Olathe Johnson Co Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher; 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 De Soto’s climate
What is the weather like in De Soto?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in De Soto in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 110 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does De Soto get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Tonganoxie 5se, KS, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in De Soto?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Olathe Johnson Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in De Soto?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 13 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 193 frost-free days, at Olathe Johnson Co Airport.
What growing zone is De Soto in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit De Soto?
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 De Soto getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in De Soto.
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.