Fort Riley is drier than 79% of U.S. towns: 34 inches of precipitation a year
In January the night’s low is typically 19°. Seasons differ by 71°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 79% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Fort Riley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Riley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Riley’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Fort Riley 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 12 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Milford Lake, KS, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Riley’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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Manhattan, KS, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Riley
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 Milford Lake, KS.
Living with Fort Riley’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 12 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. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Riley from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Riley and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fort Riley in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fort Riley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Riley, KS | 19° | 90° | 34" | 18" |
| Warrensburg, MO | 21° | 89° | 41" | 12" |
| East St. Louis, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 14" |
| Cumberland, MD | 23° | 88° | 40" | 29" |
| Martinsburg, WV | 23° | 87° | 40" | 23" |
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 Fort Riley averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Fort Riley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Riley’s place among Kansas’.
Fort Riley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Riley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Manhattan, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 19° | 0.8" | 4.8" | 5 | 8 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 23° | 1.1" | 5.0" | 6 | 5 | 26° – 43° |
| March | 56° | 33° | 2.0" | 1.8" | 8 | 1 | 37° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 85° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| October | 68° | 45° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 32° | 1.5" | 1.1" | 6 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 43° | 23° | 1.3" | 4.8" | 5 | 6 | 21° – 38° |
| Year | 66° | 44° | 33.7" | 17.6" | 102 | 20 |
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 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Fort Riley’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 Fort Riley’s center.
- Snow: Manhattan, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Milford 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 Fort Riley’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Riley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Riley in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Fort Riley get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Manhattan, KS, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 20 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fort Riley?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 46 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Milford Lake, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Riley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 193 frost-free days, at Milford Lake, KS.
What growing zone is Fort Riley 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 Fort Riley?
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 Fort Riley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Riley.
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.