July in Salem Township runs hotter than in 76% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 21° on average. Winter and summer sit 69° apart. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 67% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 18; in half of years the first frost comes by October 22.
A year in Salem Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Salem Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Salem Township’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Salem Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cassoday 2se, KS, 10 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Salem Township’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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Thrall 3sse, KS, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 80 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Salem Township
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 Cassoday 2se, KS.
Living with Salem Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
186 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 35 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Salem Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Salem Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Salem Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Salem 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Township, KS | 21° | 90° | 38" | 3.7" |
| Washington, MO | 21° | 89° | 43" | 7.9" |
| Columbia, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 8.8" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 25° | 89° | 43" | 11" |
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 Salem Township averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Salem Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Salem Township’s place among Kansas’.
Salem Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Salem Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Thrall 3sse, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 21° | 0.9" | 1.2" | 4 | 2 | 26° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 25° | 1.5" | 0.7" | 5 | 1 | 27° – 44° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 2.5" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 57° |
| April | 67° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| May | 75° | 54° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 86° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 85° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| November | 56° | 34° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 38° – 52° |
| December | 44° | 24° | 1.4" | 1.4" | 5 | 1 | 22° – 40° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 38.2" | 3.7" | 80 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Salem 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 Salem Township’s center.
- Snow: Thrall 3sse, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cassoday 2se, KS, 10 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 Salem Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Salem Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Salem Township in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Salem Township get?
About 3.7 inches in a normal winter at Thrall 3sse, KS, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Salem Township?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Cassoday 2se, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Salem Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 186 frost-free days, at Cassoday 2se, KS.
What growing zone is Salem Township 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 Salem 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 Salem Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Salem 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.