Photo: Kevin Zollman Kzollman 22:00, 4 May 2006 (UTC) · CC BY-SA 3.0Manhattan’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Manhattan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Manhattan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Manhattan’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Manhattan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 185 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Manhattan, KS, 1.4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Manhattan’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Manhattan, KS, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Manhattan
77% 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 Manhattan, KS.
Living with Manhattan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
185 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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. 43 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Manhattan from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Manhattan and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Manhattan in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Manhattan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan, KS | 18° | 91° | 34" | 18" |
| Trenton, MO | 17° | 88° | 39" | 17" |
| East St. Louis, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 14" |
| Cumberland, MD | 23° | 88° | 40" | 29" |
| Ponca City, OK | 24° | 93° | 37" | 7.9" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Manhattan averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Manhattan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Manhattan’s place among Kansas’.
Manhattan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Manhattan’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Manhattan, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 18° | 0.7" | 4.8" | 5 | 8 | 23° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 22° | 1.1" | 5.0" | 6 | 5 | 26° – 42° |
| March | 56° | 32° | 2.0" | 1.8" | 8 | 1 | 37° – 57° |
| April | 67° | 42° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| July | 91° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 85° |
| September | 81° | 56° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 44° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 1.5" | 1.1" | 6 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 1.2" | 4.8" | 5 | 6 | 20° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 43° | 33.9" | 17.6" | 102 | 20 |
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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Manhattan’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 Manhattan’s center.
- Snow: Manhattan, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Manhattan, KS, 1.4 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 Manhattan’s climate
What is the weather like in Manhattan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Manhattan in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 125 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 23°.
How much snow does Manhattan get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Manhattan, KS, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 20 days a year.
How hot does it get in Manhattan?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 68°. About 59 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Manhattan, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Manhattan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 185 frost-free days, at Manhattan, KS.
What growing zone is Manhattan 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 Manhattan?
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 Manhattan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Manhattan.
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.