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Lenexa City CenterPhoto: Kelseyneth · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Lenexa · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Lenexa’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns#104Least snow  of 153 in KS
Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns#56 coldest of 153 in KS
All KS rankings →

A year in Lenexa at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan39°20° 4" snow
Feb45°24° 3" snow
Mar56°35°
Apr66°44° Last frost ~Apr 10
May75°55° 1 day 90°+Wettest
Jun85°64° 5 days 90°+
Jul89°68° 13 days 90°+
Aug88°67° 13 days 90°+
Sep80°58° 3 days 90°+
Oct68°46° First frost ~Oct 29
Nov now54°34°
Dec43°25° 3" snow

What stands out about Lenexa’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lenexa’s place in Kansas beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Lenexa feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
42° / 23°
6 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
66° / 44°
Last frost around Apr 10
Summer
87° / 66°
34 days reach 90°
Fall
67° / 46°
First frost around Oct 29
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 202 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Olathe 3e, KS, 6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.

98
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
19th fewest of 153 in Kansas
Fewer freezing nights than 62% of U.S. towns
2
nights at or below 0°
56th fewest of 153 in Kansas
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 52% of U.S. towns
34
days that reach 90°
141st most of 153 in Kansas
More 90° days than 66% of U.S. towns
3
days that reach 100°
136th most of 153 in Kansas
More 100° days than 84% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Lenexa’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°

27
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

13
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 14 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Olathe 3e, KS, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year.

39"
Rain + melted snow a year
116th driest of 153 in Kansas
Drier than 64% of U.S. towns
14"
Snow in a normal winter
104th least snowy of 153 in Kansas
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.4"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

4"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Lenexa

78% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

4,957 heating degree daysLess heating than 58% of U.S. towns
1,382 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 70% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Olathe 3e, KS.

Living here

Living with Lenexa’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

202 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 29.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 20 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lenexa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Lenexa and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Lenexa in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Lake Quivira: January low 20°, July high 89°Bonner Springs: January low 20°, July high 89°Merriam: January low 21°, July high 88°Edwardsville: January low 20°, July high 89°Kansas City: January low 20°, July high 89°Lexington Township: January low 20°, July high 89°Oxford Township: January low 20°, July high 88°Spring Hill Township: January low 21°, July high 88°Gardner Township: January low 20°, July high 89°Gardner: January low 21°, July high 89°Aubry Township: January low 21°, July high 88°Leawood: January low 21°, July high 88°Mission: January low 21°, July high 88°Prairie Village: January low 21°, July high 88°Sherman Township: January low 20°, July high 89°Shawnee: January low 20°, July high 89°Olathe: January low 20°, July high 89°Overland Park: January low 20°, July high 88°De Soto: January low 20°, July high 89°Lenexa: January low 20°, July high 89°LenexaShawneeOlatheOverland ParkDe Soto
ColderMilder20° to 21°
Shawnee19.9° about the same
Lenexa20.1°
De Soto20.1° about the same
Olathe20.4° about the same
Overland Park20.4° about the same

Climates most like Lenexa’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Lenexa, KS20°89°39"14"
Troy, MO21°88°41"16"
East St. Louis, IL24°89°42"14"
Terre Haute, IN21°87°43"15"
Strasburg, VA23°87°39"21"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Lenexa averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).

+1.0°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 77% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.9°now 33°, was 31°
Spring+1.3°now 55°, was 54°
Summer+0.5°now 77°, was 76°
Fall+0.3°now 57°, was 56°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Lenexa compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lenexa’s place among Kansas’.

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns131st hottest of 153 in Kansas
Winter cold20° January low
Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns56th coldest of 153 in Kansas
Precipitation39" a year
Drier than 64% of U.S. towns116th driest of 153 in Kansas
Snow14" a winter
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns104th least snowy of 153 in Kansas
Hot days34 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 66% of U.S. towns141st most of 153 in Kansas
Freezing nights98 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 62% of U.S. towns19th fewest of 153 in Kansas
Growing season202 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 68% of U.S. towns15th longest of 153 in Kansas
Month by month

Lenexa weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lenexa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Olathe 3e, KS. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January39°20°1.1"3.9"623° – 41°
February45°24°1.5"3.3"626° – 44°
March56°35°2.4"1.4"838° – 59°
April66°44°3.9"0.3"1048° – 61°
May75°55°5.4"0.0"1259° – 74°
June85°64°5.2"0.0"1070° – 78°
July89°68°4.5"0.0"974° – 85°
August88°67°4.4"0.0"871° – 83°
September80°58°3.9"0.0"863° – 75°
October68°46°3.2"0.3"850° – 62°
November54°34°2.1"1.2"737° – 52°
December43°25°1.6"3.4"620° – 40°
Year66°45°39.1"13.8"97
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Lenexa’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 Lenexa’s center.
  • Snow: Olathe 3e, KS.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Olathe 3e, KS, 6 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Lenexa’s climate

What is the weather like in Lenexa?

A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Lenexa in winter?

January nights average 20°. About 98 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 23°.

How much snow does Lenexa get?

About 14 inches in a normal winter at Olathe 3e, KS, most of it in January.

How hot does it get in Lenexa?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Olathe 3e, KS).

When is the first and last frost in Lenexa?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 202 frost-free days, at Olathe 3e, KS.

What growing zone is Lenexa 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 Lenexa?

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 Lenexa getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lenexa.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.