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Climate in Luray · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Luray reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns

Deep winter brings January lows near 18°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 21, with the first autumn frost due around October 17.

Hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns#11Hottest summers  of 154 in KS
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns#17 driest of 154 in KS
All KS rankings →

A year in Luray at a glance

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

Jan42°18° 4" snow
Feb46°21° 5" snow
Mar58°31°
Apr67°40° Last frost ~Apr 211 day 90°+
May77°50° 3 days 90°+Wettest
Jun88°62° 12 days 90°+
Jul93°67° 21 days 90°+
Aug90°65° 17 days 90°+
Sep82°55° 8 days 90°+
Oct70°42° First frost ~Oct 171 day 90°+
Nov now55°29°
Dec44°21°

What stands out about Luray’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Luray feels like

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

Winter
44° / 20°
6 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
67° / 40°
Last frost around Apr 21
Summer
90° / 64°
11 days reach 100°
Fall
69° / 42°
First frost around Oct 17
Best months to be outsideMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 179 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wilson Lake, KS, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

128
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
22nd most of 154 in Kansas
More freezing nights than 65% of U.S. towns
3
nights at or below 0°
49th most of 154 in Kansas
More nights at or below 0° than 59% of U.S. towns
62
days that reach 90°
40th most of 154 in Kansas
More 90° days than 80% of U.S. towns
11
days that reach 100°
45th most of 154 in Kansas
More 100° days than 91% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Luray’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

29
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

21
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 14 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Luray 3 Se, KS, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 57 days a year.

26"
Rain + melted snow a year
17th driest of 154 in Kansas
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns
14"
Snow in a normal winter
104th least snowy of 154 in Kansas
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.2"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

5"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Luray

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

5,137 heating degree daysLess heating than 54% of U.S. towns
1,473 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 73% 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 Wilson Lake, KS.

Living here

Living with Luray’s climate

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

The garden window

179 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 17.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, September and October.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Luray from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Luray and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Luray yet.

Climates most like Luray’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
Luray, KS18°93°26"14"
Woodward, OK22°95°26"15"
Perryton, TX22°94°21"14"
Harrisville, UT19°92°20"23"
Clovis, NM24°91°17"13"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Luray averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).

+1.0°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 81% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.9°now 32°, was 30°
Spring+1.2°now 54°, was 53°
Summer+0.3°now 77°, was 77°
Fall+0.4°now 56°, was 55°

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 Luray compares

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

Summer heat93° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns11th hottest of 154 in Kansas
Winter cold18° January low
Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns9th coldest of 154 in Kansas
Precipitation26" a year
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns17th driest of 154 in Kansas
Snow14" a winter
Less snow than 60% of U.S. towns104th least snowy of 154 in Kansas
Hot days62 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 80% of U.S. towns40th most of 154 in Kansas
Freezing nights128 a year
More freezing nights than 65% of U.S. towns22nd most of 154 in Kansas
Growing season179 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 58% of U.S. towns21st shortest of 154 in Kansas
Month by month

Luray weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January42°18°0.6"4.1"323° – 41°
February46°21°0.8"4.7"325° – 42°
March58°31°1.4"1.5"536° – 55°
April67°40°2.2"0.3"647° – 59°
May77°50°4.2"0.0"857° – 71°
June88°62°3.5"0.0"669° – 80°
July93°67°4.1"0.0"675° – 86°
August90°65°3.5"0.0"771° – 84°
September82°55°2.3"0.0"563° – 75°
October70°42°1.8"0.1"549° – 61°
November55°29°1.1"0.8"335° – 50°
December44°21°0.9"2.3"223° – 37°
Year68°42°26.3"13.8"57
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 36° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Luray’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 Luray’s center.
  • Snow: Luray 3 Se, KS.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wilson Lake, KS, 15 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 Luray’s climate

What is the weather like in Luray?

A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Luray in winter?

January nights average 18°. About 128 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.

How much snow does Luray get?

About 14 inches in a normal winter at Luray 3 Se, KS, most of it in February.

How hot does it get in Luray?

July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 67°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Wilson Lake, KS).

When is the first and last frost in Luray?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 179 frost-free days, at Wilson Lake, KS.

What growing zone is Luray in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.

What is the best time of year to visit Luray?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Luray getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

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

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.