July in Otter Township runs hotter than in 83% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 23°. Temperatures cover 68° across the year, low to high. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 63% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 69–83°, runs through April, May, September and October.
A year in Otter Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Otter Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Otter Township’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Otter Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sedan, KS, 20 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Otter Township’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cedar Vale 5sse, KS, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May 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 Otter Township
73% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sedan, KS.
Living with Otter Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
199 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 9 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 5.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Otter Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Otter Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Otter Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Otter Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Township, KS | 23° | 91° | 39" | 8.5" |
| Clinton, MO | 22° | 89° | 42" | 11" |
| Columbia, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 8.8" |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 25° | 89° | 43" | 11" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
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 Otter Township averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Otter Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Otter Township’s place among Kansas’.
Otter Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Otter Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cedar Vale 5sse, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 23° | 1.1" | 2.1" | 4 | 2 | 29° – 44° |
| February | 50° | 27° | 1.5" | 1.7" | 5 | 1 | 31° – 47° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 2.8" | 1.3" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 58° |
| April | 69° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 91° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 88° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 86° |
| September | 83° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 2.0" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| December | 47° | 26° | 1.6" | 3.1" | 4 | 3 | 25° – 42° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 39.3" | 8.5" | 76 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Otter Township’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 Otter Township’s center.
- Snow: Cedar Vale 5sse, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sedan, KS, 20 miles from the town’s center, 290 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 Otter Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Otter Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Otter Township in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Otter Township get?
About 8.5 inches in a normal winter at Cedar Vale 5sse, KS, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Otter Township?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 69°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Sedan, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Otter Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 199 frost-free days, at Sedan, KS.
What growing zone is Otter Township in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Otter Township?
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 Otter Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Otter Township.
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.