Afternoon heat in Dennis beats that of 78% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 24°. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.4° above 1901–2000. For walks and days out, April, May, September and October bring highs of 68–82°.
A year in Dennis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dennis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dennis’ place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Dennis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Parsons Tri City Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dennis’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Parsons 2 Nw, KS, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 91 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dennis
71% 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 Parsons Tri City Airport.
Living with Dennis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 26.
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 Dennis from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dennis and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dennis yet.
Climates most like Dennis’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis, KS | 24° | 90° | 44" | 7.1" |
| Pevely, MO | 23° | 89° | 43" | 9.2" |
| Columbia, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 8.8" |
| Mountain Home, AR | 26° | 90° | 48" | 7.8" |
| 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 Dennis averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in all but 136 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 Dennis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dennis’ place among Kansas’.
Dennis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dennis’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Parsons 2 Nw, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 24° | 1.4" | 2.5" | 6 | 3 | 28° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 28° | 1.7" | 0.8" | 6 | 2 | 31° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 37° | 2.9" | 1.2" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 46° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 56° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 87° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 36° | 2.6" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| December | 47° | 27° | 2.0" | 2.4" | 6 | 2 | 24° – 43° |
| Year | 68° | 47° | 44.0" | 7.1" | 91 | 8 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Dennis’ 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 Dennis’ center.
- Snow: Parsons 2 Nw, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Parsons Tri City Airport, 6 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 Dennis’ climate
What is the weather like in Dennis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dennis in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 100 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Dennis get?
About 7.1 inches in a normal winter at Parsons 2 Nw, KS, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 8 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dennis?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 57 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Parsons Tri City Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Dennis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 197 frost-free days, at Parsons Tri City Airport.
What growing zone is Dennis in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dennis?
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 Dennis getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 136 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dennis.
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.