Photo: Art davis · CC BY-SA 4.0Harper reaches 100° on about 14 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Harper at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Harper’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Harper’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Harper feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Anthony, KS, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Harper’s center in zone 7a: 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Anthony, KS, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Harper
72% 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 Anthony, KS.
Living with Harper’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 9 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 30.
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 →Cold waves are 22% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Harper from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Harper and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Harper in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Harper’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper, KS | 23° | 93° | 32" | 11" |
| Elk City, OK | 26° | 95° | 27" | 8.6" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
| Kansas City, MO | 20° | 89° | 39" | 11" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 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 Harper averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Harper compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Harper’s place among Kansas’.
Harper weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Harper’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Anthony, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 23° | 0.9" | 2.4" | 4 | 3 | 29° – 44° |
| February | 50° | 26° | 1.3" | 2.8" | 5 | 2 | 31° – 46° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 2.4" | 2.1" | 7 | 1 | 41° – 57° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| June | 89° | 65° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| July | 93° | 69° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 89° |
| August | 91° | 68° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 86° |
| September | 84° | 60° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 1.5" | 0.5" | 5 | 1 | 39° – 53° |
| December | 47° | 26° | 1.3" | 3.1" | 5 | 3 | 27° – 40° |
| Year | 70° | 46° | 32.2" | 11.1" | 78 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Harper’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 Harper’s center.
- Snow: Anthony, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Anthony, KS, 9 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 Harper’s climate
What is the weather like in Harper?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Harper in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Harper get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Anthony, KS, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Harper?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 69°. About 70 days a year reach 90° and 14 reach 100° (Anthony, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Harper?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 205 frost-free days, at Anthony, KS.
What growing zone is Harper in?
Zone 7a 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 Harper?
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 Harper getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Harper.
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.