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Climate in Western Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Western Township reaches 100° on about 14 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns

Nights in January average 18°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 90% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 30 to October 10.

Hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns#22Hottest summers  of 154 in KS
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns#3 driest of 154 in KS
All KS rankings →

A year in Western Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan45°18°
Feb48°20° 5" snow
Mar58°28° 3" snow
Apr67°36° Last frost ~Apr 30
May76°48° 4 days 90°+
Jun88°58° 14 days 90°+
Jul93°64° 21 days 90°+Wettest
Aug90°61° 16 days 90°+
Sep83°52° 9 days 90°+
Oct69°38° First frost ~Oct 101 day 90°+
Nov now56°27°
Dec45°19° 5" snow

What stands out about Western Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Western Township’s place in Kansas beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Western Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
46° / 19°
7 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
67° / 37°
Last frost around Apr 30
Summer
90° / 61°
14 days reach 100°
Fall
69° / 39°
First frost around Oct 10
Best months to be outsideMaySepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 162 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wallace, KS, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

160
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2nd most of 154 in Kansas
More freezing nights than 91% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
8th most of 154 in Kansas
More nights at or below 0° than 73% of U.S. towns
67
days that reach 90°
22nd most of 154 in Kansas
More 90° days than 82% of U.S. towns
14
days that reach 100°
16th most of 154 in Kansas
More 100° days than 93% of U.S. towns
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Western 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°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

21
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Rain & snow

About 23 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Wallace, KS, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.

19"
Rain + melted snow a year
3rd driest of 154 in Kansas
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns
23"
Snow in a normal winter
3rd snowiest of 154 in Kansas
More snow than 52% of U.S. towns
23 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
8th most of 107 in Kansas
More days with snow on the ground than 52% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

5"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Western Township

83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,698 heating degree daysMore heating than 59% of U.S. towns
1,129 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 61% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Wallace, KS.

Living here

Living with Western Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

162 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 10.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Western Township from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (23%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Western Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Western Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Paxton Township: January low 18°, July high 92°Logansport Township: January low 17°, July high 93°Winona Township: January low 18°, July high 91°Sharon Springs Township: January low 18°, July high 92°Russell Springs Township: January low 18°, July high 92°Wallace Township: January low 18°, July high 92°McAllaster Township: January low 17°, July high 92°Harrison Township: January low 18°, July high 91°Augustine Township: January low 18°, July high 92°Western Township: January low 18°, July high 93°Western TownshipRussell Springs TownshipWallace TownshipMcAllaster TownshipHarrison TownshipAugustine Township
ColderMilder17° to 18°
McAllaster Township17.2° about the same
Western Township17.5°
Russell Springs Township18.0° about the same
Wallace Township18.0° about the same
Augustine Township18.0° about the same
Harrison Township18.3° about the same

Climates most like Western 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Western Township, KS18°93°19"23"
Harrisville, UT19°92°20"23"
Dalhart, TX21°92°16"20"
Brush, CO14°91°14"23"
Sidney, NE15°89°17"29"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Western Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).

+1.2°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 59% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.0°now 32°, was 30°
Spring+1.6°now 52°, was 51°
Summer+0.7°now 76°, was 75°
Fall+0.7°now 54°, was 53°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Western Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Western Township’s place among Kansas’.

Summer heat93° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns22nd hottest of 154 in Kansas
Winter cold18° January low
Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns9th coldest of 154 in Kansas
Precipitation19" a year
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns3rd driest of 154 in Kansas
Snow23" a winter
More snow than 52% of U.S. towns3rd snowiest of 154 in Kansas
Hot days67 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 82% of U.S. towns22nd most of 154 in Kansas
Freezing nights160 a year
More freezing nights than 91% of U.S. towns2nd most of 154 in Kansas
Growing season162 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 82% of U.S. towns3rd shortest of 154 in Kansas
Month by month

Western Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Western Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wallace, KS. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January45°18°0.4"2.9"4620° – 39°
February48°20°0.5"5.4"5625° – 42°
March58°28°1.0"3.1"5236° – 52°
April67°36°1.6"1.8"7146° – 57°
May76°48°2.5"1.0"9054° – 67°
June88°58°2.8"0.0"8067° – 78°
July93°64°3.3"0.0"8074° – 82°
August90°61°2.9"0.0"8070° – 80°
September83°52°1.5"0.0"6061° – 73°
October69°38°1.4"0.9"5145° – 59°
November56°27°0.6"2.7"3233° – 48°
December45°19°0.4"5.4"4622° – 37°
Year68°39°18.8"23.2"7223
Year to year

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 39°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Western 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 Western Township’s center.
  • Snow: Wallace, KS.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wallace, KS, 10 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 Western Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Western Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Western Township in winter?

January nights average 18°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.

How much snow does Western Township get?

About 23 inches in a normal winter at Wallace, KS, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.

How hot does it get in Western Township?

July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 64°. About 67 days a year reach 90° and 14 reach 100° (Wallace, KS).

When is the first and last frost in Western Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 162 frost-free days, at Wallace, KS.

What growing zone is Western 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 Western 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 Western Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Western Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.