Dodge City, Kansas climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Dodge City's normal year runs from 20°F January nights to 94°F July afternoons, with 22.0 inches of precipitation and 19 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.3°C, January lows of −6°C, July highs of 34°C, 559 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationDodge City Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00013985
- Location37.76°N 99.97°W
- Elevation2,590 ft (789 m)
- Population27,663
On October 23, the normal high in Dodge City is 68°F and the normal low 40°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 17%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Dodge City.
- Jan 46° 20°
- Feb 49° 23°
- Mar 60° 31°
- Apr 69° 40°
- May 78° 51°
- Jun 89° 62°
- Jul 94° 66°
- Aug 91° 65°
- Sep 84° 56°
- Oct 71° 43°
- Nov 57° 30°
- Dec 46° 22°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Dodge City each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 94°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 20°F. The most precipitation falls in June (3.29 in), the least in January (0.60 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46°F | 20°F | 33.0°F | 0.60 | 3.9 | 4 | <1 | 29 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 49°F | 23°F | 36.2°F | 0.62 | 4.7 | 4 | <1 | 24 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 60°F | 31°F | 45.4°F | 1.35 | 3.7 | 6 | <1 | 17 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 69°F | 40°F | 54.3°F | 1.99 | 0.8 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 78°F | 51°F | 64.8°F | 2.99 | 0.0 | 9 | 4 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 89°F | 62°F | 75.1°F | 3.29 | 0.0 | 9 | 15 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 94°F | 66°F | 80.1°F | 3.08 | 0.0 | 8 | 22 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 91°F | 65°F | 78.1°F | 2.99 | 0.0 | 9 | 19 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 84°F | 56°F | 70.0°F | 1.31 | 0.0 | 5 | 9 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 71°F | 43°F | 56.8°F | 2.02 | 0.6 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 57°F | 30°F | 43.7°F | 0.80 | 1.4 | 4 | <1 | 18 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 46°F | 22°F | 33.9°F | 0.96 | 4.0 | 4 | <1 | 28 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 69°F | 43°F | 55.9°F | 22.00 | 19.1 | 74 | 71 | 128 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | −6°C | 0.6°C | 15 mm | 10 cm |
| February | 10°C | −5°C | 2.3°C | 16 mm | 12 cm |
| March | 15°C | 0°C | 7.4°C | 34 mm | 9 cm |
| April | 20°C | 5°C | 12.4°C | 51 mm | 2 cm |
| May | 26°C | 11°C | 18.2°C | 76 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 31°C | 16°C | 23.9°C | 84 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 34°C | 19°C | 26.7°C | 78 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 33°C | 18°C | 25.6°C | 76 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 29°C | 13°C | 21.1°C | 33 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 22°C | 6°C | 13.8°C | 51 mm | 2 cm |
| November | 14°C | −1°C | 6.5°C | 20 mm | 4 cm |
| December | 8°C | −6°C | 1.1°C | 24 mm | 10 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00013985; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Dodge City?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, September and October. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (5).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00013985.
When is the last frost in Dodge City?
In Dodge City, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 21 in half of years and after May 4 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 20 in half of years and before October 4 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 211 year in 10 after May 4; 9 in 10 after April 7
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 201 year in 10 before October 4; 9 in 10 before November 1
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 179 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 199 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 11 in half of springs and before October 28 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Dodge City in zone 6b in ZIP code 67801, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Dodge City's NOAA station is in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −3°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Kansas · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00013985; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Dodge City?
In a normal year in Dodge City, 71 days a year reach 90°F (14 of them 100°F or more), 128 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 74 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 71a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 14a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 128a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 19high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 74a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 5a normal year
The highest temperature in Dodge City's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1874) is 111°F, on June 27, 2012; the lowest is −26°F, on February 12, 1899.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1944, with 33.98 in; the snowiest season is 1992–93, with 61.3 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00013985; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record DDCthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Dodge City, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 60°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 62°F; the driest air comes in December (19°F). March is the windiest month (14.5 mph on average), and June has the most clear or nearly clear hours (83%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20°F | 61% | 40% | 12.0 mph | 71% | 23% |
| February | 23°F | 56% | 35% | 13.6 mph | 72% | 21% |
| March | 33°F | 57% | 35% | 14.5 mph | 69% | 22% |
| April | 42°F | 59% | 37% | 14.0 mph | 65% | 24% |
| May | 54°F | 61% | 39% | 12.8 mph | 72% | 16% |
| June | 60°F | 56% | 35% | 13.0 mph | 83% | 7% |
| July | 62°F | 59% | 37% | 11.2 mph | 80% | 9% |
| August | 59°F | 59% | 36% | 11.7 mph | 80% | 11% |
| September | 46°F | 57% | 34% | 12.7 mph | 79% | 14% |
| October | 33°F | 58% | 35% | 12.4 mph | 78% | 17% |
| November | 23°F | 60% | 38% | 12.5 mph | 78% | 17% |
| December | 19°F | 65% | 45% | 12.2 mph | 74% | 22% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013985. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Dodge City?
Over a year 82% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Dodge City, 4.8 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (88%) and February the cloudiest (77%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 79% | 2.7 |
| February | 77% | 3.5 |
| March | 78% | 4.7 |
| April | 78% | 5.7 |
| May | 81% | 6.5 |
| June | 87% | 7.2 |
| July | 88% | 7.1 |
| August | 86% | 6.2 |
| September | 85% | 5.2 |
| October | 81% | 3.9 |
| November | 81% | 2.9 |
| December | 78% | 2.4 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Dodge City need?
A normal year in Dodge City brings 4,815 heating degree days, 10% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,549 cooling degree days, 71% more than the median (908). Six months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 4,220 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 994 | 0 |
| February | 806 | 0 |
| March | 609 | 3 |
| April | 338 | 18 |
| May | 116 | 108 |
| June | 8 | 311 |
| July | 1 | 467 |
| August | 2 | 406 |
| September | 49 | 199 |
| October | 288 | 35 |
| November | 641 | 1 |
| December | 962 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,815 | 1,549 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00013985. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Dodge City been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 56.8°F, 0.9°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 55.9°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.9°F | +1.0°F | 19.82 | 9.7 |
| 2022 | 56.4°F | +0.5°F | 11.80 | 22.6 |
| 2023 | 56.9°F | +1.0°F | 24.10 | 16.3 |
| 2024 | 58.5°F | +2.6°F | 30.45 | 16.3 |
| 2025 | 56.8°F | +0.9°F | 27.38 | 19.2 |
Over 144 complete years from 1875 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 1.8°F per century (+0.10°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00013985; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Dodge City's climate compare?
Dodge City is warmer than 101 of the other 136 places with their own NOAA record in Kansas, and wetter than 25. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 55.9°F is warmer than 63%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Dodge City is Cfa: temperate, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Dodge City share this climate record?
5 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Spearville, KS780 people · 13 mi NE
- Wilroads Gardens, KS736 people · 4 mi SE
- Ford, KS201 people · 15 mi SE
- Fort Dodge, KS145 people · 3 mi SE
- Wright, KS44 people · 4 mi E
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Dodge City's climate
What is the coldest month in Dodge City?
January, with a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 20°F. The warmest is July (94°F by day, 66°F at night).
Does it snow in Dodge City?
Yes: 19 inches in a normal year, falling on 13 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in February (4.7 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Dodge City?
June, with 3.29 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 0.60 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Dodge City in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Dodge City in zone 6b in ZIP code 67801, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at Dodge City's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −3°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 6b.
How late can frost come in Dodge City?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 21; in one year in ten it comes after May 4. Waiting until May 4 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Dodge City in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Kansas climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Cimarron, KS21 miles from this station, 55.2°F a year
- Montezuma, KS28 miles from this station, 55.0°F a year
- Jetmore, KS30 miles from this station, 54.6°F a year
- Kinsley, KS35 miles from this station, 55.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made