Afternoon heat in Empire Township beats that of 91% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 20°. Temperatures cover 73° across the year, low to high. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 85% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 19, with the first autumn frost due around October 23.
A year in Empire Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Empire Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Empire Township’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Empire Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kanopolis Lake, KS, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Empire Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 Kanopolis Lake, KS, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Empire Township
78% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Kanopolis Lake, KS.
Living with Empire Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 37 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Empire Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Empire Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Empire Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Empire Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Township, KS | 20° | 93° | 30" | 12" |
| Woodward, OK | 22° | 95° | 26" | 15" |
| Perryton, TX | 22° | 94° | 21" | 14" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
| McCook, NE | 15° | 92° | 21" | 20" |
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 Empire Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Empire Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Empire Township’s place among Kansas’.
Empire Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Empire Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kanopolis Lake, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 20° | 0.7" | 3.2" | 4 | 5 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 23° | 1.0" | 3.0" | 4 | 5 | 27° – 43° |
| March | 58° | 33° | 1.9" | 1.6" | 6 | 1 | 37° – 56° |
| April | 67° | 41° | 2.6" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 77° | 52° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 88° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| July | 93° | 68° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 66° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| October | 70° | 44° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 31° | 1.2" | 0.8" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 44° | 22° | 1.1" | 2.9" | 4 | 4 | 23° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 43° | 30.3" | 11.6" | 79 | 15 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Empire Township’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 Empire Township’s center.
- Snow: Kanopolis Lake, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kanopolis Lake, KS, 5 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 Empire Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Empire Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Empire Township in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 127 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 24°.
How much snow does Empire Township get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Kanopolis Lake, KS, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 15 days a year.
How hot does it get in Empire Township?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 68°. About 57 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Kanopolis Lake, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Empire Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Kanopolis Lake, KS.
What growing zone is Empire Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Empire Township?
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 Empire Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Empire Township.
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.