First Territorial Capitol · Photo: David von Riesen · Public domainAfternoon heat in Smoky Hill Township beats that of 82% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 19°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 72°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 81% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Smoky Hill Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smoky Hill Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smoky Hill Township’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Smoky Hill Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 193 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Milford Lake, KS, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smoky Hill Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chapman, KS, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Smoky Hill Township
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 Milford Lake, KS.
Living with Smoky Hill Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 24 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smoky Hill Township from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smoky Hill Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Smoky Hill Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Smoky Hill 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Hill Township, KS | 19° | 91° | 33" | 7.4" |
| Ponca City, OK | 24° | 93° | 37" | 7.9" |
| Warrensburg, MO | 21° | 89° | 41" | 12" |
| Columbia, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 8.8" |
| 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 Smoky Hill Township averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Smoky Hill Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smoky Hill Township’s place among Kansas’.
Smoky Hill Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smoky Hill Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chapman, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 19° | 0.8" | 3.1" | 4 | 23° – 42° |
| February | 46° | 23° | 1.1" | 1.5" | 4 | 26° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 32° | 2.0" | 1.1" | 6 | 37° – 57° |
| April | 67° | 42° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 8 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 80° |
| July | 91° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 74° – 86° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 72° – 85° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 76° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 2.4" | 0.1" | 6 | 49° – 62° |
| November | 55° | 32° | 1.5" | 0.4" | 4 | 36° – 51° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 1.2" | 1.0" | 4 | 21° – 38° |
| Year | 67° | 43° | 33.2" | 7.4" | 75 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Smoky Hill 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 Smoky Hill Township’s center.
- Snow: Chapman, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Milford Lake, KS, 1.5 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 Smoky Hill Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Smoky Hill Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smoky Hill Township in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Smoky Hill Township get?
About 7.4 inches in a normal winter at Chapman, KS, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Smoky Hill Township?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 68°. About 46 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Milford Lake, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Smoky Hill Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 193 frost-free days, at Milford Lake, KS.
What growing zone is Smoky Hill Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Smoky Hill 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 Smoky Hill Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Smoky Hill 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.