Photo: Junedude433 · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer afternoons in Longford are warmer than in 85% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 19°. May is the wettest month, January the driest. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 84% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Longford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Longford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Longford’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Longford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clay Ctr, KS, 18 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Longford’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Longford, KS, falls mostly in January. 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 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Longford
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 Clay Ctr, KS.
Living with Longford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
181 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 19.
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 Longford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Longford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Longford yet.
Climates most like Longford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longford, KS | 19° | 92° | 32" | 13" |
| Ponca City, OK | 24° | 93° | 37" | 7.9" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
| Liberty, MO | 20° | 88° | 40" | 13" |
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 Longford averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Longford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Longford’s place among Kansas’.
Longford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Longford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Longford, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 19° | 0.7" | 4.3" | 3 | 24° – 41° |
| February | 45° | 22° | 1.0" | 2.5" | 3 | 26° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 32° | 1.9" | 0.7" | 6 | 37° – 57° |
| April | 67° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 7 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 87° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 69° – 80° |
| July | 92° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 75° – 86° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 85° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 49° – 62° |
| November | 54° | 32° | 1.4" | 1.3" | 4 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 42° | 22° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 3 | 21° – 37° |
| Year | 67° | 43° | 31.6" | 12.6" | 64 |
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 57°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Longford’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 Longford’s center.
- Snow: Longford, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clay Ctr, KS, 18 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Longford’s climate
What is the weather like in Longford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Longford in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 121 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Longford get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Longford, KS, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Longford?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 68°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Clay Ctr, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Longford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 181 frost-free days, at Clay Ctr, KS.
What growing zone is Longford in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Longford?
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 Longford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Longford.
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.