Pretty Prairie reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 21°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 84% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.8° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 68–83°.
A year in Pretty Prairie at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pretty Prairie’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pretty Prairie’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Pretty Prairie feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hutchinson 10 Sw, KS, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pretty Prairie’s center in zone 6b: 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pretty Prairie 1 N, KS, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pretty Prairie
77% 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 Hutchinson 10 Sw, KS.
Living with Pretty Prairie’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
181 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 19.
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 Pretty Prairie from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pretty Prairie and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pretty Prairie yet.
Climates most like Pretty Prairie’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pretty Prairie, KS | 21° | 93° | 32" | 11" |
| Weatherford, OK | 26° | 95° | 31" | 5.7" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
| Kansas City, MO | 20° | 89° | 39" | 11" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
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 Pretty Prairie averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Pretty Prairie compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pretty Prairie’s place among Kansas’.
Pretty Prairie weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pretty Prairie’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pretty Prairie 1 N, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 21° | 0.8" | 1.5" | 4 | 28° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 25° | 1.2" | 3.0" | 5 | 30° – 45° |
| March | 59° | 34° | 2.3" | 1.6" | 6 | 39° – 57° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 2.7" | 0.5" | 8 | 49° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 54° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 88° | 64° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 71° – 81° |
| July | 93° | 69° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 76° – 89° |
| August | 91° | 67° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 73° – 86° |
| September | 83° | 58° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 66° – 78° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.2" | 7 | 51° – 63° |
| November | 57° | 33° | 1.3" | 0.8" | 4 | 38° – 53° |
| December | 45° | 24° | 1.2" | 3.3" | 5 | 25° – 39° |
| Year | 69° | 45° | 31.6" | 10.9" | 77 |
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 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Pretty Prairie’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 Pretty Prairie’s center.
- Snow: Pretty Prairie 1 N, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hutchinson 10 Sw, KS, 10 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 Pretty Prairie’s climate
What is the weather like in Pretty Prairie?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pretty Prairie in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 126 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 28°.
How much snow does Pretty Prairie get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Pretty Prairie 1 N, KS, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Pretty Prairie?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 69°. About 63 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Hutchinson 10 Sw, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Pretty Prairie?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 181 frost-free days, at Hutchinson 10 Sw, KS.
What growing zone is Pretty Prairie in?
Zone 6b 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 Pretty Prairie?
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 Pretty Prairie getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pretty Prairie.
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.