Less rain and snow falls on Summit Township than on 89% of U.S. towns: 22 inches a year
Nights in January average 17°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 82% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in March. The outdoor season, with highs of 74–81°, runs through May and September.
A year in Summit Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Summit Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Summit Township’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Summit Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oberlin, KS, 10 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Summit Township’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dresden, KS, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Summit Township
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Oberlin, KS.
Living with Summit Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Summit Township from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Summit Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Summit Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Summit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Township, KS | 17° | 91° | 22" | 27" |
| Harrisville, UT | 19° | 92° | 20" | 23" |
| Sidney, NE | 15° | 89° | 17" | 29" |
| Sterling, CO | 16° | 91° | 16" | 37" |
| Dalhart, TX | 21° | 92° | 16" | 20" |
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 Summit Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Summit Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Summit Township’s place among Kansas’.
Summit Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Summit Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dresden, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 17° | 0.4" | 5.1" | 3 | 6 | 20° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 19° | 0.6" | 6.2" | 4 | 7 | 22° – 40° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 1.1" | 3.9" | 5 | 2 | 35° – 51° |
| April | 65° | 36° | 2.1" | 1.9" | 7 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 74° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 86° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| July | 91° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 61° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 52° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 39° | 1.7" | 1.4" | 5 | 1 | 45° – 59° |
| November | 54° | 27° | 0.8" | 3.0" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 18° | 0.6" | 5.1" | 4 | 5 | 23° – 36° |
| Year | 66° | 39° | 21.6" | 26.8" | 72 | 22 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Summit 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 Summit Township’s center.
- Snow: Dresden, KS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oberlin, KS, 10 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Summit Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Summit Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Summit Township in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 164 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Summit Township get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Dresden, KS, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.
How hot does it get in Summit Township?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 63°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Oberlin, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Summit Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 163 frost-free days, at Oberlin, KS.
What growing zone is Summit Township in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Summit Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Summit Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Summit 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.