Independence, KS Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Independence's primary NOAA station, INDEPENDENCE.
The climate verdict for Independence
Water is the standout signal in Independence, Kansas: 45.4 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 58°F. It scores 78/100 for climate comfort (good), putting it in the top third of station-mapped location scores and exceeding 72% of them.
- 58°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 78/100
- comfort score, above 72% of station-mapped location scores
- 45.4"
- annual precipitation · 7" snow
- 209 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Independence: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00143954 · Independence, KS 58°F mean · 45.4" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-TOP · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 58°F
- RANK-UPPER #4,665
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Vienna
- PRCP-MID 45.4"
- SWING-WIDE 46°F
- COMF-TOP 78/100
- LOAD-HEAT 4,284 HDD
- STN-1 USC00143954
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Vienna, MO (+ 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.
- Independence (this station) 58°F
- Cold Providence, KY 58°F
- Hot Follett, TX 58°F
- Near Vienna, MO 58°F
- Near Guymon, OK 58°F
Climate Living Index · Independence
Independence: 62/100 · grade C
Independence publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Independence, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 78/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Frost-free season | 209 days/year | 71/100 · B |
| Annual temperature balance | 57.6°F · 9.9° from 67.5°F | 68/100 · C |
| Snowfall burden | 7.4 inches/year | 67/100 · C |
| Precipitation balance | 45.4 in · 10.4 from 35 in | 63/100 · C |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 147 calendar days | 49/100 · D |
Independence · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Independence is a temperate Köppen climate: Cfa
Coldest-month mean 33.8°F and warmest-month mean 80.2°F place this station in temperate, no dry season, hot summer climates (Cfa). Class Cfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: temperate, specifically temperate, no dry season, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Cfa
- Group
- Temperate
- Warmest month
- 80.2°F
- Coldest month
- 33.8°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 Independence sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Independence's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 68th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- 69th percentile wetness
- Neither arid nor torrential versus 6,352 station totals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 66th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Independence compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Independence's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
78 Top 28% score exceeds 72% 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%). Below this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). This entry sits in this band.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Independence's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 121 complete annual observations from 1893 to 2025, INDEPENDENCE warmed at a fitted rate of 0.05°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Independence primary station fitted change +0.05 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F (7°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 1.4" | 2.2" | 26.4 | 0.0 |
| February | 50°F (10°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 1.9" | 0.9" | 20.7 | 0.0 |
| March | 60°F (15°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 2.9" | 1.9" | 11.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 69°F (21°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 4.5" | 0.0" | 2.5 | 0.2 |
| May | 77°F (25°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 6.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| June | 86°F (30°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 6.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 8.3 |
| July | 91°F (33°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 80°F (27°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 18.7 |
| August | 90°F (32°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 4.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 17.9 |
| September | 83°F (28°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 4.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.1 |
| October | 72°F (22°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 4.1" | 0.0" | 1.8 | 0.5 |
| November | 59°F (15°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 2.4" | 0.3" | 12.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 48°F (9°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 2.4" | 2.1" | 22.6 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Independence works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 92°F by July 31 and hold at or above 90°F on 44 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 103 dates, bottoming at 22°F around January 19.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 8 through August 20, covering 44 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs April 19 to October 20.
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 6, then returns to freezing around November 25, covering 103 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 8, when 38% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is January 22 at 18%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 93 wet dates a year.
The widest day
March 29 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 Independence.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 2.2"
5.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.9"
5.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.9"
8.3 days with precipitation
9.7 days with precipitation
11.7 days with precipitation
9.3 days with precipitation
8.0 days with precipitation
7.4 days with precipitation
7.1 days with precipitation
7.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
6.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.1"
6.3 days with precipitation
Independence spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 33% of the annual total and December through February 12%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Independence has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 46.4°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: May averages 6.8" and January 1.4". The three wettest months together take 39% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
When it rains in Independence, it arrives in quantity
45.4" of precipitation falls across only about 93 wet days here, averaging 0.49 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 93 a year, 26% of all days
- Average depth per wet day
- 0.49 inches
- Most wet days
- May, about 12
- Fewest wet days
- February, about 6
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 Independence, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 7.4 inches of snow a year here, most likely in January. 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 5 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 31
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 5
50% probability date
Growing Season
209 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
4,284
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,618
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside KS closest to Independence 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 (58°F here).
- Big Water, UT 58°F · 0.0°F off
- Gate, OK 58°F · 0.0°F off
- Gladeville, TN 58°F · 0.0°F off
- Moab, UT 58°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (45.4" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Walden, NY 45.4" · 0.0" off
- Freelandville, IN 45.4" · 0.0" off
- Bluefield, WV 45.4" · 0.0" off
- Emory, TX 45.4" · 0.0" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Independence's climate pattern fits together
heating led · wet · mid swing
Independence's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 4,284 annual heating degree days against 1,618 for cooling. Its 46.4°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Independence's frost-free season lasts about 209 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 Independence's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 46.4°F. The annual average is 58°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Alongside its heating load, Independence carries 45.4 inches of precipitation in a normal year, inside PlainClimate's wet range. Annual snowfall totals 7.4 inches. That distinction matters because a wet annual total can arrive as rain, snow, or a mixture at different times.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Independence'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 Independence, not an official NOAA class or a year-ahead forecast.
Questions about Independence's climate
How much rain does Independence get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Independence get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Independence? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Independence's primary station: INDEPENDENCE (USC00143954). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 2033875). Match rule for Independence: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Independence 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.