Russell, Kansas climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Russell's normal year runs from 19°F January nights to 93°F July afternoons, with 24.8 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.7°C, January lows of −7°C, July highs of 34°C, 631 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationRussell Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00093997
- Location38.88°N 98.81°W
- Elevation1,864 ft (568 m)
- Population4,325
On October 23, the normal high in Russell is 66°F and the normal low 39°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 19%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Russell.
- Jan 42° 19°
- Feb 46° 22°
- Mar 57° 31°
- Apr 67° 40°
- May 76° 52°
- Jun 88° 62°
- Jul 93° 67°
- Aug 90° 65°
- Sep 82° 57°
- Oct 69° 43°
- Nov 55° 30°
- Dec 43° 21°
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 Russell each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 93°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 19°F. The most precipitation falls in May (3.98 in), the least in January (0.55 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. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 19°F | 30.5°F | 0.55 | 4 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 46°F | 22°F | 33.9°F | 0.71 | 4 | <1 | 25 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 57°F | 31°F | 44.1°F | 1.30 | 6 | <1 | 18 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 67°F | 40°F | 53.4°F | 2.17 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 76°F | 52°F | 63.9°F | 3.98 | 11 | 3 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 88°F | 62°F | 75.1°F | 3.31 | 9 | 14 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 93°F | 67°F | 79.9°F | 3.97 | 10 | 20 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 90°F | 65°F | 77.5°F | 3.28 | 8 | 17 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 82°F | 57°F | 69.2°F | 2.15 | 7 | 7 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 69°F | 43°F | 55.9°F | 1.72 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 55°F | 30°F | 42.5°F | 0.96 | 4 | <1 | 19 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 43°F | 21°F | 32.1°F | 0.74 | 4 | <1 | 29 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 67°F | 42°F | 54.8°F | 24.84 | 83 | 63 | 130 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | −7°C | −0.8°C | 14 mm |
| February | 8°C | −6°C | 1.1°C | 18 mm |
| March | 14°C | −1°C | 6.7°C | 33 mm |
| April | 19°C | 5°C | 11.9°C | 55 mm |
| May | 25°C | 11°C | 17.7°C | 101 mm |
| June | 31°C | 17°C | 23.9°C | 84 mm |
| July | 34°C | 20°C | 26.6°C | 101 mm |
| August | 32°C | 19°C | 25.3°C | 83 mm |
| September | 28°C | 14°C | 20.7°C | 55 mm |
| October | 21°C | 6°C | 13.3°C | 44 mm |
| November | 13°C | −1°C | 5.8°C | 24 mm |
| December | 6°C | −6°C | 0.1°C | 19 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Wilson (18 miles away), gets 10 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00093997; 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 Russell?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, September and October. Of those, October has the fewest days with rain (6).
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 USW00093997.
When is the last frost in Russell?
In Russell, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 22 in half of years and after May 6 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 17 in half of years and before October 1 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 221 year in 10 after May 6; 9 in 10 after April 9
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 171 year in 10 before October 1; 9 in 10 before October 31
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 176 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 196 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 12 in half of springs and before October 27 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Russell in zone 6b in ZIP code 67665, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Russell's NOAA station is in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −5°F (26 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 USW00093997; 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 Russell?
In a normal year in Russell, 63 days a year reach 90°F (13 of them 100°F or more), 130 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 83 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 63a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 13a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 130a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 24high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 83a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1949) is 114°F, on June 30, 1980; the lowest is −24°F, on December 22, 1989.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1951, with 42.33 in; the snowiest season is 1959–60, with 60.3 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00093997; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00093997. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Russell, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 62°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 64°F; the driest air comes in December (20°F). March is the windiest month (14.2 mph on average), and June has the most clear or nearly clear hours (80%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21°F | 67% | 47% | 11.5 mph | 69% | 23% |
| February | 24°F | 62% | 41% | 12.9 mph | 69% | 22% |
| March | 35°F | 61% | 39% | 14.2 mph | 66% | 23% |
| April | 44°F | 64% | 43% | 13.4 mph | 62% | 25% |
| May | 57°F | 67% | 46% | 12.0 mph | 69% | 16% |
| June | 62°F | 60% | 39% | 12.7 mph | 80% | 8% |
| July | 64°F | 62% | 42% | 11.1 mph | 79% | 8% |
| August | 61°F | 63% | 41% | 11.4 mph | 80% | 9% |
| September | 48°F | 61% | 38% | 12.5 mph | 79% | 13% |
| October | 34°F | 61% | 38% | 12.4 mph | 76% | 17% |
| November | 25°F | 66% | 44% | 12.1 mph | 76% | 17% |
| December | 20°F | 71% | 51% | 11.6 mph | 71% | 23% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093997. 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 Russell?
Over a year 80% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Russell, 4.7 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (86%) and February the cloudiest (74%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 76% | 2.5 |
| February | 74% | 3.3 |
| March | 75% | 4.4 |
| April | 76% | 5.5 |
| May | 78% | 6.3 |
| June | 85% | 7.1 |
| July | 86% | 6.9 |
| August | 86% | 6.1 |
| September | 84% | 5.0 |
| October | 80% | 3.7 |
| November | 80% | 2.8 |
| December | 76% | 2.2 |
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 Russell need?
A normal year in Russell brings 5,160 heating degree days, 4% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,492 cooling degree days, 64% more than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 4,085 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,071 | 0 |
| February | 871 | 0 |
| March | 650 | 2 |
| April | 363 | 15 |
| May | 130 | 96 |
| June | 10 | 311 |
| July | 0 | 464 |
| August | 2 | 389 |
| September | 57 | 184 |
| October | 310 | 30 |
| November | 676 | 1 |
| December | 1,020 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,160 | 1,492 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00093997. 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 Russell been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 55.7°F, 0.9°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 54.8°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.0°F | +1.2°F | 25.55 |
| 2022 | 55.1°F | +0.3°F | 13.72 |
| 2023 | 56.5°F | +1.8°F | 21.76 |
| 2024 | 57.5°F | +2.7°F | 19.44 |
| 2025 | 55.7°F | +0.9°F | 24.49 |
Over 69 complete years from 1950 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.6°F per century (+0.14°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00093997; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Russell's climate compare?
Russell is warmer than 63 of the other 136 places with their own NOAA record in Kansas, and wetter than 35. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 54.8°F is warmer than 59%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Russell is Dfa: continental, 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 Russell share this climate record?
6 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.
- Gorham, KS379 people · 12 mi W
- Bunker Hill, KS108 people · 6 mi E
- Paradise, KS34 people · 17 mi N
- Waldo, KS32 people · 17 mi N
- Susank, KS29 people · 16 mi S
- Beaver, KS13 people · 18 mi SE
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Russell's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Russell. This page uses Russell Municipal Airport; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell (7 mi E) USC00147043 | 6 mi E | 1,870 ft | 54.3°F | 18°F | 92°F | 28.1 | – | April 22 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Russell's climate
What is the coldest month in Russell?
January, with a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 19°F. The warmest is July (93°F by day, 67°F at night).
Does it snow in Russell?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Russell's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Wilson (18 miles away), records 10 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Russell?
May, with 3.98 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 0.55 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Russell in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Russell in zone 6b in ZIP code 67665, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at Russell's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −5°F (26 years, 1991-2020): zone 6b.
How late can frost come in Russell?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 22; in one year in ten it comes after May 6. Waiting until May 6 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Russell in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Kansas climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Wilson, KS18 miles from this station, 54.8°F a year
- Hays, KS27 miles from this station, 55.6°F a year
- Bison, KS32 miles from this station, 53.5°F a year
- Ellsworth, KS33 miles from this station, 54.7°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made