McDonald is drier than 89% of U.S. towns: 20 inches of precipitation a year
January mornings start at about 17°. Its July heat outdoes that of 81% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. If you like long walks, May and September offer highs of 74–81°.
A year in McDonald at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McDonald’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McDonald’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in McDonald feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mc Donald, KS, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McDonald’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mc Donald, KS, is heaviest from January through March, about 6 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McDonald
85% 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 Mc Donald, KS.
Living with McDonald’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McDonald from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McDonald and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McDonald yet.
Climates most like McDonald’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald, KS | 17° | 91° | 20" | 34" |
| Perry, UT | 18° | 91° | 19" | 38" |
| Sheridan, CO | 19° | 89° | 16" | 34" |
| Gering, NE | 15° | 90° | 15" | 43" |
| Torrington, WY | 14° | 90° | 13" | 31" |
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 McDonald averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 McDonald compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McDonald’s place among Kansas’.
McDonald weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McDonald’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mc Donald, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 17° | 0.4" | 5.8" | 3 | 10 | 19° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 19° | 0.5" | 5.6" | 4 | 9 | 23° – 40° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 0.9" | 5.4" | 5 | 4 | 34° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 35° | 2.0" | 4.1" | 8 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 74° | 46° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 86° | 56° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| July | 91° | 62° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 60° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 81° | 51° | 1.5" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 38° | 1.5" | 2.1" | 6 | 1 | 44° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.7" | 4.7" | 5 | 4 | 31° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 18° | 0.5" | 5.2" | 3 | 9 | 23° – 36° |
| Year | 66° | 38° | 20.1" | 33.6" | 76 | 37 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where McDonald’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 McDonald’s center.
- Snow: Mc Donald, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mc Donald, KS, 0.1 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 McDonald’s climate
What is the weather like in McDonald?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McDonald in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does McDonald get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Mc Donald, KS, heaviest from January through March, about 6 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 37 days a year.
How hot does it get in McDonald?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 62°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Mc Donald, KS).
When is the first and last frost in McDonald?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 160 frost-free days, at Mc Donald, KS.
What growing zone is McDonald in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit McDonald?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is McDonald getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McDonald.
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.