Edson reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 17°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Edson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Edson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Edson’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Edson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brewster 4w, KS, 6 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Edson’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Goodland, KS, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Edson
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Brewster 4w, KS.
Living with Edson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Edson from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Edson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Edson yet.
Climates most like Edson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edson, KS | 17° | 91° | 19" | 30" |
| Perry, UT | 18° | 91° | 19" | 38" |
| Lochbuie, CO | 17° | 90° | 14" | 35" |
| Torrington, WY | 14° | 90° | 13" | 31" |
| Gering, NE | 15° | 90° | 15" | 43" |
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 Edson averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Edson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Edson’s place among Kansas’.
Edson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Edson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Goodland, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 17° | 0.4" | 4.7" | 4 | 6 | 18° – 39° |
| February | 46° | 19° | 0.5" | 6.3" | 5 | 7 | 23° – 40° |
| March | 56° | 27° | 0.9" | 4.8" | 6 | 3 | 34° – 50° |
| April | 64° | 35° | 1.8" | 3.2" | 8 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 74° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 86° | 56° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| July | 91° | 62° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 60° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 81° | 51° | 1.5" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 37° | 1.4" | 2.0" | 6 | 1 | 44° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.6" | 3.3" | 4 | 3 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 18° | 0.4" | 5.2" | 4 | 6 | 22° – 35° |
| Year | 66° | 38° | 19.0" | 30.0" | 81 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 39°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Edson’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 Edson’s center.
- Snow: Goodland, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brewster 4w, KS, 6 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower; 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 Edson’s climate
What is the weather like in Edson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Edson in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Edson get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Goodland, KS, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Edson?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 62°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Brewster 4w, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Edson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 145 frost-free days, at Brewster 4w, KS.
What growing zone is Edson in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Edson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Edson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Edson.
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.