Photo: Smallbones · Public domainNorton reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Norton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Norton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Norton’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Norton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Norton Dam, KS, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Norton’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Norton Dam, KS, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Norton
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 Norton Dam, KS.
Living with Norton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 1 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. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Norton from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Norton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Norton yet.
Climates most like Norton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton, KS | 16° | 91° | 23" | 20" |
| Harrisville, UT | 19° | 92° | 20" | 23" |
| Sidney, NE | 15° | 89° | 17" | 29" |
| Brush, CO | 14° | 91° | 14" | 23" |
| Hereford, TX | 23° | 92° | 19" | 14" |
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 Norton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Norton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Norton’s place among Kansas’.
Norton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Norton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Norton Dam, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 16° | 0.5" | 3.5" | 4 | 11 | 20° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 19° | 0.6" | 5.4" | 4 | 9 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 57° | 28° | 1.2" | 2.6" | 6 | 3 | 34° – 52° |
| April | 66° | 37° | 2.1" | 1.1" | 8 | 1 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 75° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 87° | 58° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| July | 91° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 52° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 39° | 1.9" | 0.9" | 6 | 1 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.9" | 1.2" | 4 | 2 | 31° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 18° | 0.7" | 4.7" | 3 | 8 | 21° – 35° |
| Year | 66° | 39° | 23.3" | 19.6" | 78 | 33 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Norton’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 Norton’s center.
- Snow: Norton Dam, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Norton Dam, KS, 3 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 Norton’s climate
What is the weather like in Norton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Norton in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 155 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Norton get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Norton Dam, KS, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 33 days a year.
How hot does it get in Norton?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 64°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Norton Dam, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Norton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 162 frost-free days, at Norton Dam, KS.
What growing zone is Norton in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Norton?
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 Norton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Norton.
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.