Horace reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 18°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Tender plants can go out after about May 2; in half of years the first frost comes by October 11.
A year in Horace at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Horace’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Horace’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Horace feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tribune 1w, KS, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Horace’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tribune 1w, KS, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 65 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Horace
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Tribune 1w, KS.
Living with Horace’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Horace from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Horace and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Horace yet.
Climates most like Horace’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horace, KS | 18° | 92° | 19" | 22" |
| Harrisville, UT | 19° | 92° | 20" | 23" |
| Dalhart, TX | 21° | 92° | 16" | 20" |
| Brush, CO | 14° | 91° | 14" | 23" |
| Sidney, NE | 15° | 89° | 17" | 29" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Horace averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Horace compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Horace’s place among Kansas’.
Horace weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Horace’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tribune 1w, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 18° | 0.4" | 4.2" | 3 | 7 | 20° – 39° |
| February | 48° | 20° | 0.5" | 4.2" | 3 | 6 | 25° – 41° |
| March | 58° | 28° | 0.9" | 3.6" | 5 | 3 | 37° – 51° |
| April | 66° | 36° | 1.7" | 2.1" | 6 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 76° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 87° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 92° | 63° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 82° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 38° | 1.4" | 1.3" | 5 | 1 | 46° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 26° | 0.6" | 2.1" | 3 | 2 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 18° | 0.5" | 3.8" | 3 | 6 | 24° – 36° |
| Year | 68° | 39° | 18.8" | 21.7" | 65 | 25 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 39°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Horace’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 Horace’s center.
- Snow: Tribune 1w, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tribune 1w, KS, 1.2 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 Horace’s climate
What is the weather like in Horace?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Horace in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Horace get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Tribune 1w, KS, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 25 days a year.
How hot does it get in Horace?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 63°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Tribune 1w, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Horace?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 160 frost-free days, at Tribune 1w, KS.
What growing zone is Horace in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Horace?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Horace getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Horace.
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.