Preston reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 21° on average. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 72°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 86% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Preston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Preston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Preston’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Preston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pratt 3nw, KS, 13 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Preston’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pratt 3nw, KS, is heaviest from February through March, about 4 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 28 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 57 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Preston
78% 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 Pratt 3nw, KS.
Living with Preston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 20.
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 Preston from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Preston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Preston yet.
Climates most like Preston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston, KS | 21° | 93° | 28" | 15" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
| Elk City, OK | 26° | 95° | 27" | 8.6" |
| McCook, NE | 15° | 92° | 21" | 20" |
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 Preston averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Preston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Preston’s place among Kansas’.
Preston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Preston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pratt 3nw, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 21° | 0.8" | 3.6" | 2 | 2 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 24° | 1.1" | 3.9" | 3 | 2 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 58° | 33° | 2.0" | 4.1" | 4 | 1 | 39° – 56° |
| April | 68° | 42° | 2.3" | 0.4" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 53° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| June | 88° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| July | 93° | 68° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 75° – 88° |
| August | 90° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 85° |
| September | 83° | 57° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 2.4" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| November | 57° | 32° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 23° | 1.0" | 2.6" | 3 | 2 | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 44° | 28.3" | 15.1" | 57 | 8 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Preston’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 Preston’s center.
- Snow: Pratt 3nw, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pratt 3nw, KS, 13 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher; 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 Preston’s climate
What is the weather like in Preston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Preston in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 123 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Preston get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Pratt 3nw, KS, heaviest from February through March, about 4 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 8 days a year.
How hot does it get in Preston?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 68°. About 66 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Pratt 3nw, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Preston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 183 frost-free days, at Pratt 3nw, KS.
What growing zone is Preston in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Preston?
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 Preston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Preston.
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.