St. Marks reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 22°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 70°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 78% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 11 to October 29.
A year in St. Marks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Marks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Marks’ place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in St. Marks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wichita, KS, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Marks’ center in zone 7a: 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wichita, KS, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in St. Marks
71% 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 Wichita, KS.
Living with St. Marks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
199 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Marks from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Marks and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Marks yet.
Climates most like St. Marks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marks, KS | 22° | 93° | 34" | 13" |
| Moore, OK | 28° | 93° | 36" | 6.7" |
| Kansas City, MO | 20° | 89° | 39" | 11" |
| East St. Louis, IL | 24° | 89° | 42" | 14" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
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 St. Marks averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 St. Marks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Marks’ place among Kansas’.
St. Marks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Marks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wichita, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 22° | 0.9" | 2.7" | 5 | 3 | 28° – 44° |
| February | 49° | 26° | 1.3" | 3.6" | 5 | 3 | 30° – 45° |
| March | 59° | 35° | 2.3" | 2.1" | 7 | 1 | 40° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 65° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| July | 93° | 69° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 89° |
| August | 91° | 68° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 87° |
| September | 83° | 59° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 34° | 1.6" | 0.8" | 5 | 1 | 39° – 53° |
| December | 46° | 25° | 1.3" | 3.1" | 5 | 3 | 24° – 41° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 34.4" | 12.7" | 87 | 12 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where St. Marks’ 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 St. Marks’ center.
- Snow: Wichita, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wichita, KS, 9 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 St. Marks’ climate
What is the weather like in St. Marks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Marks in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 103 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does St. Marks get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Wichita, KS, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in St. Marks?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 69°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Wichita, KS).
When is the first and last frost in St. Marks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 199 frost-free days, at Wichita, KS.
What growing zone is St. Marks in?
Zone 7a 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 St. Marks?
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 St. Marks getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Marks.
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.