July in Prescott runs hotter than in 74% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 23°. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.6° above 1901–2000. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 67–81°, belongs to April, May, September and October.
A year in Prescott at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Prescott’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Prescott’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Prescott feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first by October 23. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mound City 1ssw, KS, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Mound City, KS, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Prescott’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ft Scott, KS, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Prescott
78% 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 Mound City, KS.
Living with Prescott’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 13 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Prescott from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Prescott and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Prescott yet.
Climates most like Prescott’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott, KS | 23° | 89° | 43" | 8.4" |
| Pevely, MO | 23° | 89° | 43" | 9.2" |
| Columbia, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 8.8" |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 25° | 89° | 43" | 11" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
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 Prescott averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Prescott compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Prescott’s place among Kansas’.
Prescott weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Prescott’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Scott, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 23° | 1.4" | 3.9" | 6 | 26° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 1.8" | 1.0" | 5 | 29° – 47° |
| March | 57° | 36° | 2.8" | 0.7" | 7 | 40° – 60° |
| April | 67° | 45° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 49° – 62° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 71° – 84° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 64° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 51° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 6 | 39° – 54° |
| December | 45° | 27° | 2.0" | 2.3" | 5 | 22° – 42° |
| Year | 67° | 46° | 42.5" | 8.4" | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Prescott’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 Prescott’s center.
- Snow: Ft Scott, KS.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Mound City, KS, 9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Mound City 1ssw, KS, 8 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 Prescott’s climate
What is the weather like in Prescott?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Prescott in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 124 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Prescott get?
About 8.4 inches in a normal winter at Ft Scott, KS, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Prescott?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Mound City, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Prescott?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 13 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 192 frost-free days, at Mound City, KS.
What growing zone is Prescott in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Prescott?
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 Prescott getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Prescott.
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.