Mahaska Rural High School #3 · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Dry weather: only 31 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Mahaska, less than in 85% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 89°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 72°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 77% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside for May, September and October, when highs sit at 67–79°.
A year in Mahaska at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mahaska’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mahaska’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Mahaska feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fairbury 5s, NE, 12 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mahaska’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hubbell, NE, is heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 69 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mahaska
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 Fairbury 5s, NE.
Living with Mahaska’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mahaska from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mahaska and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mahaska yet.
Climates most like Mahaska’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahaska, KS | 17° | 89° | 31" | 25" |
| East Peoria, IL | 17° | 86° | 38" | 26" |
| Kearney, MO | 19° | 88° | 39" | 19" |
| North Platte, NE | 14° | 89° | 21" | 28" |
| Ottumwa, IA | 14° | 86° | 37" | 24" |
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 Mahaska averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Mahaska compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mahaska’s place among Kansas’.
Mahaska weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mahaska’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hubbell, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 17° | 0.7" | 6.8" | 4 | 9 | 21° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 20° | 1.0" | 6.8" | 4 | 8 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 54° | 30° | 1.7" | 3.0" | 5 | 3 | 34° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 2.8" | 0.9" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 89° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| October | 67° | 43° | 2.3" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 30° | 1.3" | 2.5" | 4 | 2 | 32° – 49° |
| December | 40° | 20° | 1.0" | 4.4" | 3 | 6 | 18° – 35° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 30.6" | 25.1" | 69 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Mahaska’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 Mahaska’s center.
- Snow: Hubbell, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fairbury 5s, NE, 12 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Mahaska’s climate
What is the weather like in Mahaska?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mahaska in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 144 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Mahaska get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Hubbell, NE, heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mahaska?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 66°. About 42 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Fairbury 5s, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Mahaska?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 169 frost-free days, at Fairbury 5s, NE.
What growing zone is Mahaska in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mahaska?
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 Mahaska getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mahaska.
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.