Dry weather: only 34 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Shannon Township, less than in 79% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 18°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 73% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.7° rise. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Shannon Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shannon Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shannon Township’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Shannon Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tuttle Creek Lake, KS, 13 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shannon Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 Fostoria 7 Nw, KS, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shannon Township
80% 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 Tuttle Creek Lake, KS.
Living with Shannon Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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. 3.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shannon Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shannon Township and its neighbors
Green Township the hottest July afternoons (90°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Shannon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon Township, KS | 18° | 89° | 34" | 18" |
| Trenton, MO | 17° | 88° | 39" | 17" |
| Jacksonville, IL | 19° | 87° | 39" | 16" |
| Fort Madison, IA | 17° | 86° | 39" | 18" |
| Martinsburg, WV | 23° | 87° | 40" | 23" |
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 Shannon Township averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Shannon Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shannon Township’s place among Kansas’.
Shannon Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shannon Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fostoria 7 Nw, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 18° | 0.8" | 5.2" | 4 | 8 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 22° | 1.1" | 4.2" | 4 | 6 | 25° – 41° |
| March | 55° | 32° | 2.1" | 2.0" | 7 | 2 | 36° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.5" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 52° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 83° |
| September | 80° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| October | 67° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 31° | 1.6" | 1.8" | 5 | 1 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 41° | 22° | 1.2" | 3.5" | 4 | 6 | 19° – 37° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 34.0" | 17.7" | 78 | 23 |
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 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Shannon 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 Shannon Township’s center.
- Snow: Fostoria 7 Nw, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tuttle Creek Lake, KS, 13 miles from the town’s center, 350 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 Shannon Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Shannon Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shannon Township in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Shannon Township get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Fostoria 7 Nw, KS, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shannon Township?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 45 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Tuttle Creek Lake, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Shannon Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Tuttle Creek Lake, KS.
What growing zone is Shannon Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shannon 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 Shannon Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shannon 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.