Summer arrives in force in Geneseo, hotter than in 88% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 20°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 72°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 85% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 19; in half of years the first frost comes by October 23.
A year in Geneseo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Geneseo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Geneseo’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Geneseo 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, 12 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Geneseo’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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Geneseo, KS, falls mostly in January 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 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Geneseo
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 Geneseo’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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Geneseo from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (27%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Geneseo and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Geneseo in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Geneseo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneseo, KS | 20° | 92° | 30" | 15" |
| Woodward, OK | 22° | 95° | 26" | 15" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
| 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 Geneseo averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Geneseo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Geneseo’s place among Kansas’.
Geneseo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Geneseo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Geneseo, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 20° | 0.7" | 3.9" | 3 | 4 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 23° | 1.1" | 3.3" | 3 | 4 | 27° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 33° | 1.9" | 2.2" | 5 | 2 | 37° – 56° |
| April | 67° | 41° | 2.5" | 0.5" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 87° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| July | 92° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 87° |
| August | 90° | 66° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| September | 82° | 57° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 2.3" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 32° | 1.2" | 1.1" | 3 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 43° | 23° | 1.1" | 4.0" | 3 | 5 | 23° – 38° |
| Year | 67° | 43° | 30.3" | 15.2" | 56 | 16 |
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 Geneseo’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 Geneseo’s center.
- Snow: Geneseo, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kanopolis Lake, KS, 12 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Geneseo’s climate
What is the weather like in Geneseo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Geneseo 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 Geneseo get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Geneseo, KS, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 16 days a year.
How hot does it get in Geneseo?
July, with a typical high of 92° 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 Geneseo?
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 Geneseo 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 Geneseo?
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 Geneseo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Geneseo.
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.