Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 4.0Neither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Garnett sits near the middle of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 22°. Its July heat outdoes that of 72% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Tender plants can go out after about April 17; in half of years the first frost comes by October 22.
A year in Garnett at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Garnett’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Garnett’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Garnett feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Garnett 1 E, KS, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Garnett’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Garnett 1 E, KS, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Garnett
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 Garnett 1 E, KS.
Living with Garnett’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Garnett from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Garnett and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Garnett in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Garnett’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garnett, KS | 22° | 89° | 40" | 13" |
| Cottleville, MO | 22° | 89° | 43" | 14" |
| East St. Louis, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 14" |
| 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 Garnett averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in all but 165 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 Garnett compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Garnett’s place among Kansas’.
Garnett weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Garnett’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Garnett 1 E, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 22° | 1.2" | 4.8" | 5 | 5 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 25° | 1.6" | 2.5" | 5 | 3 | 27° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 2.5" | 1.4" | 7 | 1 | 38° – 58° |
| April | 66° | 44° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 55° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 85° |
| September | 80° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 68° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.5" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 55° | 35° | 2.4" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 38° – 53° |
| December | 44° | 25° | 1.6" | 3.0" | 5 | 3 | 20° – 41° |
| Year | 66° | 45° | 40.1" | 12.8" | 83 | 12 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Garnett’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 Garnett’s center.
- Snow: Garnett 1 E, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Garnett 1 E, KS, 1.3 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 Garnett’s climate
What is the weather like in Garnett?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Garnett in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 107 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 24°.
How much snow does Garnett get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Garnett 1 E, KS, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Garnett?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 46 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Garnett 1 E, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Garnett?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 189 frost-free days, at Garnett 1 E, KS.
What growing zone is Garnett in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Garnett?
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 Garnett getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 165 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Garnett.
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.