Tallgrass Prairie NP, KS Climate

Climate Insight: Tallgrass Prairie NP, KS

In Tallgrass Prairie NP, Kansas, the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals put the annual average temperature at 56°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 68°F to a mean daily low of 44°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. As thirty-year averages computed from station USC00148061, these numbers smooth out year-to-year noise into a working baseline for a typical month.

Rainfall (and snow, where it falls) shapes day-to-day life here as much as temperature does. Tallgrass Prairie NP sees about 33.5 inches of precipitation a year, with 11.7 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 190 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near April 15 and the first fall freeze near October 22. On the energy side, 4,808 heating degree days and 1,559 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.

On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Tallgrass Prairie NP scores 78/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.