Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0Great Bend reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 19°. May is the wettest month here, with about 6.2 times the rain of January. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 24; in half of years the first frost comes by October 15.
A year in Great Bend at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Great Bend’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Great Bend’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Great Bend feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Great Bend 3w, KS, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Great Bend’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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Great Bend 3w, KS, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Great Bend
80% 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 Great Bend 3w, KS.
Living with Great Bend’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Great Bend from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Great Bend and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Great Bend in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Great Bend’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend, KS | 19° | 92° | 27" | 12" |
| Perryton, TX | 22° | 94° | 21" | 14" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
| McCook, NE | 15° | 92° | 21" | 20" |
| Elk City, OK | 26° | 95° | 27" | 8.6" |
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 Great Bend averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Great Bend compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Great Bend’s place among Kansas’.
Great Bend weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Great Bend’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Great Bend 3w, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 19° | 0.7" | 2.2" | 3 | 6 | 24° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 23° | 0.9" | 2.6" | 4 | 4 | 27° – 43° |
| March | 58° | 32° | 1.6" | 2.3" | 6 | 2 | 38° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 41° | 2.0" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 87° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 92° | 67° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 65° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 56° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 43° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| November | 56° | 30° | 1.0" | 1.7" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| December | 44° | 22° | 1.0" | 2.3" | 4 | 5 | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 43° | 26.7" | 11.5" | 73 | 19 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 43°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Great Bend’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 Great Bend’s center.
- Snow: Great Bend 3w, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Great Bend 3w, KS, 1.6 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 Great Bend’s climate
What is the weather like in Great Bend?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Great Bend in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 120 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 Great Bend get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Great Bend 3w, KS, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 19 days a year.
How hot does it get in Great Bend?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 67°. About 70 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Great Bend 3w, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Great Bend?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 172 frost-free days, at Great Bend 3w, KS.
What growing zone is Great Bend 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 Great Bend?
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 Great Bend getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Great Bend.
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.