Photo: Scott Nazelrod · Public domainSouth Haven reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 24°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 75% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in South Haven at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Haven’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Haven’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in South Haven feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 195 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wellington, KS, 15 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Haven’s center in zone 7a: 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Caldwell, KS, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Haven
73% 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 Wellington, KS.
Living with South Haven’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
195 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Haven from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Haven and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around South Haven yet.
Climates most like South Haven’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Haven, KS | 24° | 94° | 36" | 9.9" |
| Pauls Valley, OK | 28° | 95° | 38" | 3.8" |
| Clinton, MO | 22° | 89° | 42" | 11" |
| Gainesville, TX | 32° | 95° | 39" | 2.6" |
| East St. Louis, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 14" |
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 South Haven averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 South Haven compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Haven’s place among Kansas’.
South Haven weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Haven’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Caldwell, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 24° | 1.0" | 2.2" | 5 | 3 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 27° | 1.4" | 2.5" | 5 | 2 | 33° – 47° |
| March | 61° | 36° | 2.6" | 1.7" | 7 | 1 | 42° – 59° |
| April | 70° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| June | 89° | 66° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| July | 94° | 70° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 90° |
| August | 92° | 69° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 87° |
| September | 84° | 60° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| November | 59° | 36° | 1.7" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 48° | 26° | 1.4" | 3.1" | 5 | 3 | 26° – 42° |
| Year | 70° | 47° | 35.5" | 9.9" | 83 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where South Haven’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 South Haven’s center.
- Snow: Caldwell, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wellington, KS, 15 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 South Haven’s climate
What is the weather like in South Haven?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Haven in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does South Haven get?
About 9.9 inches in a normal winter at Caldwell, KS, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Haven?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 70°. About 67 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Wellington, KS).
When is the first and last frost in South Haven?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 195 frost-free days, at Wellington, KS.
What growing zone is South Haven in?
Zone 7a 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 South Haven?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Haven getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Haven.
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.