PlainClimate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals Station-mapped location · no exact Census place match 1 NOAA station · Primary-station record

Clay Ctr, KS Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month

Annual temperature and rainfall from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →; comfort score computed by PlainClimate

30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Clay Ctr's primary NOAA station, CLAY CTR.

The climate verdict for Clay Ctr

Clay Ctr, Kansas has a mixed annual climate rather than one dominant extreme. Its NOAA normal shows an annual average of 54°F. Its climate comfort score of 68/100 (good) lands mid-pack nationally, exceeding 56% of station-mapped location scores.

54°F
yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
68/100
comfort score, above 56% of station-mapped location scores
31.9"
annual precipitation · 11" snow
183 days
frost-free days per growing season

Clay Ctr: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.

Normals record plate

Sheet USC00141559 · Clay Ctr, KS 54°F mean · 31.9" precip

TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-MID · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL

Nearest mean-temperature peer: Russell, KS (+ 0 °F mean)

Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.

Mean-temperature neighbourhood

Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every KS station list.

Climate Living Index · Clay Ctr

Clay Ctr: 56/100 · grade C

Clay Ctr publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.

C
56/100Climate Living Index

PlainClimate-derived for Clay Ctr, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 68/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.

Clay Ctr Living Index dimension scores
DimensionStation valueScore
Precipitation balance 31.9 in · 3.1 from 35 in 88/100 · A
Snowfall burden 10.8 inches/year 62/100 · C
Annual temperature balance 54.3°F · 13.2° from 67.5°F 57/100 · C
Frost-free season 183 days/year 52/100 · D
Normal heat + freeze calendar 166 calendar days 35/100 · F

Clay Ctr · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.

Clay Ctr is a continental Köppen climate: Dfa

Coldest-month mean 28.3°F and warmest-month mean 79.8°F place this station in continental, no dry season, hot summer climates (Dfa). Class Dfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, hot summer.

Köppen code
Dfa
Group
Continental
Warmest month
79.8°F
Coldest month
28.3°F

Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.

National standing · heating-led station

Where Clay Ctr sits across the climate record

Three NOAA fields for Clay Ctr's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.

Annual temperature
58th percentile warmth
Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
Annual precipitation
42nd percentile wetness
Neither arid nor torrential versus 6,352 station totals.
Seasonal temperature swing
Wider than 85%
Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Clay Ctr is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.

How Clay Ctr compares across U.S. station-mapped locations

Clay Ctr's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations

PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals

68 Top 44% score exceeds 56% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores

0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry. 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry. 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry. 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry. 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry. 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry. 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). This entry sits in this band. 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry. 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry. 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry. This location 0 100 every station-mapped location, bucketed by value
  1. 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
  2. 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
  3. 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
  4. 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
  5. 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
  6. 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
  7. 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). This entry sits in this band.
  8. 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
  9. 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
  10. 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.

Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more station-mapped locations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Clay Ctr's measured station temperature trend

Methodology

Across 105 complete annual observations from 1904 to 2025, CLAY CTR warmed at a fitted rate of 0.06°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.

Clay Ctr fitted annual mean temperature change, 1904-2025 Fitted station-temperature change from 1904 to 2025, relative to the fitted first year. The linear trend warmed at 0.06 °C per decade. -0.2°C +0.0°C +0.2°C +0.4°C +0.6°C +0.8°C 192019401960198020002020
  • Clay Ctr primary station fitted change +0.06 °C/decade
Source: NOAA GHCN-M v4, quality-controlled monthly mean temperature. PlainClimate fits ordinary least squares over complete calendar years; minimum 30 years, record must reach 2015 or later.

Monthly Temperatures

Average daily high and low temperatures by month

Month Avg High Avg Low Mean
January 39°F (4°C) 18°F (-8°C) 28°F (-2°C)
February 44°F (7°C) 21°F (-6°C) 33°F (0°C)
March 55°F (13°C) 31°F (-1°C) 43°F (6°C)
April 66°F (19°C) 41°F (5°C) 53°F (12°C)
May 76°F (24°C) 53°F (12°C) 65°F (18°C)
June 86°F (30°C) 64°F (18°C) 75°F (24°C)
July 91°F (33°C) 68°F (20°C) 80°F (27°C)
August 89°F (31°C) 66°F (19°C) 77°F (25°C)
September 81°F (27°C) 57°F (14°C) 69°F (21°C)
October 68°F (20°C) 44°F (6°C) 56°F (13°C)
November 53°F (12°C) 31°F (-1°C) 42°F (6°C)
December 42°F (5°C) 21°F (-6°C) 32°F (0°C)

The year, day by day

Clay Ctr works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 92°F by July 18 and hold at or above 90°F on 38 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 128 dates, bottoming at 18°F around January 14.

Normal daily high and low temperature for Clay Ctr, January through December Peaks 92°F around July 18. Bottoms 18°F around January 14. 10 30 50 70 90 freezing JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal daily high and low across the calendar year. NOAA 1991–2020 daily normals, CLAY CTR.

When the heat sits

Normal highs reach 90°F from July 3 through August 9, covering 38 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 1 to October 12.

This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.

The freezing stretch

The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 19, then returns to freezing around November 13, covering 128 dates in all.

Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.

Where the wet dates fall

The likeliest wet date is May 11, when 32% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is January 9 at 12%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 78 wet dates a year.

The widest day

March 28 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 25°F between the normal high and the normal low.

Look up any date

Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Clay Ctr.

Monthly Precipitation

Average monthly rainfall and snowfall

January 0.7"

Snow: 3.1"

3.9 days with precipitation

February 1.1"

Snow: 2.0"

4.3 days with precipitation

March 1.9"

Snow: 0.8"

5.7 days with precipitation

April 2.8"

Snow: 0.6"

7.9 days with precipitation

May 4.9"

10.1 days with precipitation

June 4.5"

8.4 days with precipitation

July 4.0"

8.5 days with precipitation

August 4.1"

8.1 days with precipitation

September 2.9"

6.3 days with precipitation

October 2.2"

Snow: 0.2"

6.1 days with precipitation

November 1.5"

Snow: 0.9"

4.8 days with precipitation

December 1.1"

Snow: 3.2"

3.8 days with precipitation

Clay Ctr runs a summer-peaked wet season

40% of Clay Ctr's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is May at 4.9", on a wide 51.5°F gap between its warmest and coldest month. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.

Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.

When it rains in Clay Ctr, it arrives in quantity

31.8" of precipitation falls across only about 78 wet days here, averaging 0.41 inches each. Fewer days carry more water: the year's total is delivered in comparatively heavy events rather than persistent damp.

Days with measurable precipitation
about 78 a year, 21% of all days
Average depth per wet day
0.41 inches
Most wet days
May, about 10
Fewest wet days
December, about 4

A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, and a per-day average is not a forecast of any individual storm.

Snow reaches Clay Ctr, but rarely amounts to much

The normals record 10.8 inches of snow a year here, most likely in December. That is a real but marginal amount: enough that snow is part of the local record, not enough to define the winter.

A figure in this range usually reflects a handful of events that melt quickly rather than a season of accumulation; about 7 days a year record any measurable snow at all.

NOAA 1991-2020 normals. An average across thirty years can smooth away a single heavy winter, so a small annual figure does not mean a significant snowfall is impossible.

Frost Dates & Growing Season

First Fall Freeze

October 19

50% probability date

Last Spring Freeze

April 19

50% probability date

Growing Season

183 days

Heating & Cooling Degree Days

Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling

Heating Degree Days

5,317

Higher = more heating needed

Cooling Degree Days

1,467

Higher = more cooling needed

Warmest Month

July

Coldest Month

January

Nationwide similar cities

Other rankable U.S. places outside KS closest to Clay Ctr on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.

Closest by average temperature

Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (54°F here).

Closest by annual precipitation

Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (31.9" here), excluding temperature-peer places.

Kansas climate overview →

Data-derived climate profile

How Clay Ctr's climate pattern fits together

heating led · moderate · mid swing

Clay Ctr's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,317 annual heating degree days against 1,467 for cooling. Its 51.5°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.

Clay Ctr's frost-free season lasts about 183 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.

July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Clay Ctr's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 51.5°F. The annual average is 54°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.

Clay Ctr's 31.9 inches of annual precipitation falls in PlainClimate's middle band, so “wet” or “dry” is not the leading description. Annual snowfall totals 10.8 inches. Temperature balance and the calendar distribution carry more information than the annual moisture label alone.

These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Clay Ctr's primary station, so the winter figures are a thirty-year average and not a floor: a single hard season can run well below them. Treat each band as a descriptive range for Clay Ctr, not an official NOAA class or a year-ahead forecast.

Questions about Clay Ctr's climate

How much rain does Clay Ctr get?
Clay Ctr receives 31.9 inches of precipitation, including 10.8 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
How many days above 90°F does Clay Ctr get?
Clay Ctr averages about 54 days a year at or above 90°F, concentrated in July and the months either side of it. That is a count of days reaching the threshold, not a measure of how far above it they go.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Clay Ctr?
Clay Ctr has 5,317 heating degree days and 1,467 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. Degree-day definitions: reading weather data.

Data Sources

Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Clay Ctr's primary station: CLAY CTR (USC00141559). For informational purposes only.

Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Clay Ctr; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate

On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Clay Ctr comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.