Pittsburg Township has warmer summer afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 17°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 75°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 29; autumn frost returns near October 15.
A year in Pittsburg Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pittsburg Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pittsburg Township’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Pittsburg Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glen Elder Lake, KS, 13 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pittsburg Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 Cawker City, KS, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pittsburg Township
82% 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 Glen Elder Lake, KS.
Living with Pittsburg Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
168 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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. 7.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pittsburg Township from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pittsburg Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Pittsburg Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Pittsburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg Township, KS | 17° | 92° | 27" | 18" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
| Woodward, OK | 22° | 95° | 26" | 15" |
| Perryton, TX | 22° | 94° | 21" | 14" |
| North Platte, NE | 14° | 89° | 21" | 28" |
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 Pittsburg Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Pittsburg Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pittsburg Township’s place among Kansas’.
Pittsburg Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pittsburg Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cawker City, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 17° | 0.6" | 4.5" | 3 | 5 | 21° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 20° | 0.8" | 5.8" | 4 | 5 | 24° – 42° |
| March | 57° | 30° | 1.4" | 1.7" | 5 | 2 | 36° – 55° |
| April | 66° | 39° | 2.3" | 0.5" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| May | 76° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 87° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 92° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 64° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| September | 82° | 55° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 42° | 1.9" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| November | 54° | 29° | 1.1" | 1.6" | 4 | 1 | 34° – 49° |
| December | 43° | 20° | 0.9" | 3.5" | 4 | 4 | 21° – 37° |
| Year | 67° | 41° | 26.6" | 17.9" | 73 | 17 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Pittsburg 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 Pittsburg Township’s center.
- Snow: Cawker City, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glen Elder Lake, KS, 13 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Pittsburg Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Pittsburg Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pittsburg Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Pittsburg Township get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Cawker City, KS, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 17 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pittsburg Township?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 66°. About 57 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Glen Elder Lake, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Pittsburg Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 168 frost-free days, at Glen Elder Lake, KS.
What growing zone is Pittsburg Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pittsburg Township?
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 Pittsburg Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pittsburg 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.