Topeka Forbes Fld, 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 Topeka Forbes Fld's primary NOAA station, TOPEKA FORBES FLD.
The climate verdict for Topeka Forbes Fld
Topeka Forbes Fld, Kansas has a mixed annual climate rather than one dominant extreme. Its NOAA normal shows an annual average of 55°F. It scores 80/100 for climate comfort (excellent), putting it in the top third of station-mapped location scores and exceeding 76% of them.
- 55°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 80/100
- comfort score, above 76% of station-mapped location scores
- 36.7"
- precipitation, annual total
- 189 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Topeka Forbes Fld: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00013920 · Topeka Forbes Fld, KS 55°F mean · 36.7" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-TOP · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 55°F
- RANK-UPPER #4,254
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Meade
- PRCP-MID 36.7"
- SWING-WIDE 50°F
- COMF-TOP 80/100
- LOAD-HEAT 4,942 HDD
- STN-1 USW00013920
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Meade, KS (+ 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.
- Hot Hays, KS 56°F
- Near Council Grove L…, KS 56°F
- Topeka Forbes F… (this station) 55°F
- Cold Wilmore, KS 55°F
- Near Meade, KS 55°F
Climate Living Index · Topeka Forbes Fld
Topeka Forbes Fld: 56/100 · grade C
Topeka Forbes Fld publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Topeka Forbes Fld, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 80/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 36.7 in · 1.7 from 35 in | 92/100 · A |
| Annual temperature balance | 55.4°F · 12.1° from 67.5°F | 61/100 · C |
| Frost-free season | 189 days/year | 56/100 · C |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 155 calendar days | 43/100 · D |
| Summer moisture balance | 65.4°F mean dew point | 33/100 · F |
Topeka Forbes Fld · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Topeka Forbes Fld is a continental Köppen climate: Dfa
Coldest-month mean 29.9°F and warmest-month mean 79.6°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
- 79.6°F
- Coldest month
- 29.9°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 Topeka Forbes Fld sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Topeka Forbes Fld's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 62nd percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- 51st percentile wetness
- Neither arid nor torrential versus 6,352 station totals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 80%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Topeka Forbes Fld is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Topeka Forbes Fld compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Topeka Forbes Fld's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
80 Top 24% score exceeds 76% 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%). Below this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). This entry sits in this band.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Topeka Forbes Fld's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 45 complete annual observations from 1953 to 2025, TOPEKA FORBES FLD warmed at a fitted rate of 0.04°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Topeka Forbes Fld primary station fitted change +0.04 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F (5°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.8" | 28.2 | 0.0 |
| February | 46°F (8°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 1.2" | 23.1 | 0.0 |
| March | 57°F (14°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 2.3" | 15.5 | 0.0 |
| April | 67°F (20°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 3.9" | 4.5 | 0.2 |
| May | 76°F (25°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 5.2" | 0.2 | 1.8 |
| June | 86°F (30°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 4.7" | 0.0 | 9.9 |
| July | 91°F (33°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 80°F (26°C) | 4.6" | 0.0 | 18.0 |
| August | 90°F (32°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 78°F (25°C) | 4.5" | 0.0 | 15.4 |
| September | 81°F (27°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 3.5" | 0.0 | 5.7 |
| October | 69°F (20°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 2.8" | 3.8 | 0.6 |
| November | 55°F (13°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 1.8" | 15.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 44°F (7°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 1.4" | 26.6 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Topeka Forbes Fld works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 91°F by July 28 and hold at or above 90°F on 38 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 117 dates, bottoming at 19°F around January 15.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 9 through August 15, covering 38 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs April 27 to October 13.
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 12, then returns to freezing around November 17, covering 117 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 9, when 40% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is January 3 at 16%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 105 wet dates a year.
The widest day
March 30 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 Topeka Forbes Fld.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
5.1 days with precipitation
5.6 days with precipitation
9.4 days with precipitation
10.5 days with precipitation
12.7 days with precipitation
11.6 days with precipitation
9.2 days with precipitation
10.4 days with precipitation
9.7 days with precipitation
9.5 days with precipitation
6.2 days with precipitation
5.3 days with precipitation
Topeka Forbes Fld runs a summer-peaked wet season
37% of Topeka Forbes Fld'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 May at 5.2", on a wide 49.7°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: May, June, July, taking 39% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: January at 0.8".
- Winter share: 9% 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 Topeka Forbes Fld's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 105 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 36.7" between them, or roughly 0.35 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.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 21
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 15
50% probability date
Growing Season
189 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
4,942
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,496
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67% | 10.0 | 60% | 24% |
| February | 62% | 11.1 | 58% | 25% |
| March | 63% | 11.7 | 53% | 24% |
| April | 67% | 10.5 | 47% | 27% |
| May | 71% | 8.9 | 57% | 16% |
| June | 69% | 8.8 | 64% | 8% |
| July | 68% | 7.6 | 65% | 7% |
| August | 70% | 7.6 | 65% | 10% |
| September | 68% | 8.7 | 69% | 12% |
| October | 66% | 9.8 | 65% | 21% |
| November | 68% | 10.3 | 65% | 22% |
| December | 70% | 10.2 | 62% | 26% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside KS closest to Topeka Forbes Fld 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 (55°F here).
- Appleton City, MO 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Danville, KY 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Elkton, OR 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Erwin, TN 55°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (36.7" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Adrian, MI 36.7" · 0.0" off
- Maquoketa, IA 36.7" · 0.0" off
- Clarinda, IA 36.6" · 0.0" off
- Greenville, MI 36.6" · 0.0" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Topeka Forbes Fld's climate pattern fits together
heating led · moderate · mid swing
Topeka Forbes Fld's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 4,942 annual heating degree days against 1,496 for cooling. Its 49.7°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Topeka Forbes Fld's frost-free season lasts about 189 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 Topeka Forbes Fld's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 49.7°F. The annual average is 55°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Topeka Forbes Fld's 36.7 inches of annual precipitation falls in PlainClimate's middle band, so “wet” or “dry” is not the leading description. Snowfall is not added to the interpretation because its annual value is missing. Temperature balance and the calendar distribution carry more information than the annual moisture label alone.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Topeka Forbes Fld'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 Topeka Forbes Fld, not an official NOAA class or a year-ahead forecast.
Questions about Topeka Forbes Fld's climate
How much rain does Topeka Forbes Fld get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Topeka Forbes Fld get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Topeka Forbes Fld? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Topeka Forbes Fld's primary station: TOPEKA FORBES FLD (USW00013920). 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 Topeka Forbes Fld; 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 Topeka Forbes Fld 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.