Smith Ctr, KS Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Smith Ctr's primary NOAA station, SMITH CTR.
The climate verdict for Smith Ctr
Smith Ctr, Kansas has a mixed annual climate rather than one dominant extreme. Its NOAA normal shows an annual average of 53°F. Its climate comfort score of 64/100 (good) lands mid-pack nationally, exceeding 49% of station-mapped location scores.
- 53°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 64/100
- comfort score, above 49% of station-mapped location scores
- 26.1"
- annual precipitation · 18" snow
- 174 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Smith Ctr: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00147542 · Smith Ctr, KS 53°F mean · 26.1" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-MID · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 53°F
- RANK-MID #3,705
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Fish Springs Nwr
- PRCP-MID 26.1"
- SWING-WIDE 52°F
- COMF-MID 64/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,645 HDD
- STN-1 USC00147542
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Fish Springs Nwr, UT (+ 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.
- Smith Ctr (this station) 53°F
- Cold Washington, KS 53°F
- Hot Alton, KS 53°F
- Near Fish Springs Nwr, UT 53°F
- Near Phillipsburg, KS 53°F
Climate Living Index · Smith Ctr
Smith Ctr: 44/100 · grade D
Smith Ctr publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Smith Ctr, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 64/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 26.1 in · 8.9 from 35 in | 69/100 · C |
| Annual temperature balance | 53.1°F · 14.4° from 67.5°F | 53/100 · D |
| Snowfall burden | 18.3 inches/year | 51/100 · D |
| Frost-free season | 174 days/year | 45/100 · D |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 192 calendar days | 18/100 · F |
Smith Ctr · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Smith Ctr is a continental Köppen climate: Dfa
Coldest-month mean 27.3°F and warmest-month mean 79.1°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
- 79.1°F
- Coldest month
- 27.3°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 Smith Ctr sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Smith Ctr's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 54th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- 36th percentile wetness
- Neither arid nor torrential versus 6,352 station totals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 85%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Smith Ctr is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Smith Ctr compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Smith Ctr's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
64 49th percentile score exceeds 49% 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.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Smith Ctr's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 55 complete annual observations from 1958 to 2025, SMITH CTR warmed at a fitted rate of 0.17°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Smith Ctr primary station fitted change +0.16 °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 | 39°F (4°C) | 16°F (-9°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 0.6" | 4.4" | 30.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 44°F (7°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 0.7" | 5.9" | 25.1 | 0.0 |
| March | 55°F (13°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 1.4" | 2.3" | 19.7 | 0.0 |
| April | 66°F (19°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 2.1" | 0.7" | 6.7 | 0.6 |
| May | 76°F (24°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 0.4 | 3.3 |
| June | 87°F (31°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 3.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 12.9 |
| July | 92°F (33°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 4.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 20.0 |
| August | 89°F (32°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 76°F (25°C) | 3.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 16.2 |
| September | 82°F (28°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 2.0" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 7.6 |
| October | 68°F (20°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 1.9" | 0.5" | 5.0 | 0.8 |
| November | 53°F (12°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 1.2" | 1.5" | 19.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 41°F (5°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.8" | 3.0" | 29.2 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Smith Ctr works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 93°F by July 13 and hold at or above 90°F on 47 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 145 dates, bottoming at 16°F around January 11.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 25 through August 10, covering 47 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 28, then returns to freezing around November 5, covering 145 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 25, when 36% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is January 7 at 13%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 84 wet dates a year.
The widest day
March 30 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 29°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Smith Ctr.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 4.4"
3.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.9"
4.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.3"
6.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.7"
8.2 days with precipitation
11.0 days with precipitation
10.1 days with precipitation
10.0 days with precipitation
8.8 days with precipitation
6.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.5"
6.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.5"
4.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.0"
4.0 days with precipitation
Smith Ctr runs a summer-peaked wet season
44% of Smith 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 July at 4.4", on a wide 51.8°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.
- Wettest three months: July, May, June, taking 46% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: January at 0.6".
- Winter share: 8% falls in December, January and February.
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.
How Smith Ctr's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 84 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 26.1" between them, or roughly 0.31 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Winter brings real snow to Smith Ctr
Smith Ctr averages 18.3 inches of snowfall a year, with February the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 12 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 18.3 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 12 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 7% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 15
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 24
50% probability date
Growing Season
174 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,645
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,342
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside KS closest to Smith 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 (53°F here).
- Allentown, PA 53°F · 0.0°F off
- Dallas, OR 53°F · 0.0°F off
- Danville, IL 53°F · 0.0°F off
- Decatur, IL 53°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (26.1" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Childress, TX 26.1" · 0.0" off
- Freedom, OK 26.1" · 0.0" off
- Moorhead, MN 26.1" · 0.0" off
- St Mary, MT 26.1" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Smith Ctr
heating led · moderate · mid swing
Smith Ctr's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,645 annual heating degree days against 1,342 for cooling. Its 51.8°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Smith Ctr's frost-free season lasts about 174 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Smith Ctr coldest normal
January
The monthly mean of 27°F (-3°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Smith Ctr typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Smith Ctr snow peak
February
Smith Ctr averages 18.3 inches of snow a year, with February the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Smith Ctr's climate
How much snow does Smith Ctr get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Smith Ctr get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Smith Ctr? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Smith Ctr's primary station: SMITH CTR (USC00147542). 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 Smith Ctr; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Smith 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.