Sun City reaches 100° on about 22 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 21°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in January. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Sun City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sun City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sun City’s place in Kansas beside it.
What a year in Sun City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wilmore 16se, KS, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sun City’s center in zone 6b: 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sun City, KS, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sun City
77% 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 Wilmore 16se, KS.
Living with Sun City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 42% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sun City from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sun City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sun City yet.
Climates most like Sun City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun City, KS | 21° | 94° | 27" | 16" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
| Ogden, UT | 20° | 92° | 20" | 23" |
| McCook, NE | 15° | 92° | 21" | 20" |
| Clovis, NM | 24° | 91° | 17" | 13" |
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 Sun City averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Sun City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sun City’s place among Kansas’.
Sun City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sun City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sun City, KS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 21° | 0.7" | 3.8" | 3 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 24° | 1.0" | 4.3" | 3 | 30° – 45° |
| March | 60° | 33° | 1.9" | 2.4" | 5 | 40° – 57° |
| April | 70° | 42° | 2.5" | 0.1" | 6 | 50° – 63° |
| May | 79° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 89° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 70° – 81° |
| July | 94° | 67° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 75° – 88° |
| August | 92° | 66° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 73° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 57° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 66° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 44° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 51° – 63° |
| November | 58° | 31° | 1.1" | 0.2" | 3 | 37° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 23° | 1.1" | 4.8" | 2 | 27° – 39° |
| Year | 70° | 44° | 26.7" | 15.6" | 56 |
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 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Sun City’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 Sun City’s center.
- Snow: Sun City, KS (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wilmore 16se, KS, 19 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 Sun City’s climate
What is the weather like in Sun City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sun City in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 142 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Sun City get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Sun City, KS, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Sun City?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 67°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 22 reach 100° (Wilmore 16se, KS).
When is the first and last frost in Sun City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 171 frost-free days, at Wilmore 16se, KS.
What growing zone is Sun City in?
Zone 6b 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 Sun City?
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 Sun City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sun City.
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.