Kansas City climate
Kansas City (Missouri, United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C55 °F, and about 1,039 mm41 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kansas City climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 337 | −719 | −228 | 321.3 | 28 |
| Feb | 541 | −622 | 031 | 421.7 | 24 |
| Mar | 1355 | 033 | 744 | 692.7 | 15 |
| Apr | 1967 | 643 | 1355 | 1064.2 | 4 |
| May | 2475 | 1355 | 1865 | 1415.6 | 0 |
| Jun | 2984 | 1865 | 2475 | 1395.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 3289 | 2169 | 2679 | 1094.3 | 0 |
| Aug | 3187 | 1967 | 2577 | 1285.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 2680 | 1458 | 2069 | 913.6 | 0 |
| Oct | 1966 | 744 | 1355 | 913.6 | 2 |
| Nov | 1254 | 133 | 643 | 471.8 | 13 |
| Dec | 541 | −524 | 032 | 431.7 | 26 |
| Year | 3289 | −719 | 1355 | 1,03941 | 113 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80% | 60% | 2.1 | 9:42 |
| Feb | 78% | 62% | 3.0 | 10:40 |
| Mar | 75% | 62% | 3.9 | 11:50 |
| Apr | 73% | 59% | 5.0 | 13:11 |
| May | 76% | 59% | 5.7 | 14:18 |
| Jun | 76% | 51% | 6.5 | 14:54 |
| Jul | 71% | 45% | 6.5 | 14:39 |
| Aug | 70% | 46% | 5.7 | 13:41 |
| Sep | 71% | 42% | 4.8 | 12:23 |
| Oct | 72% | 49% | 3.4 | 11:06 |
| Nov | 76% | 53% | 2.4 | 9:58 |
| Dec | 81% | 59% | 1.9 | 9:26 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Kansas City is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F and a low of 21 °C69 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 3 °C37 °F and lows −7 °C19 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 28.2 °C50.8 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,039 mm41 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 38% of the annual total. The wettest month is May (141 mm5.6 in), the driest is January (32 mm1.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 70% in August to 81% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 42%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in August to 13 km/h (8 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.4 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in January and February. In those months the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm. It is deepest in January, at about 14 cm.
Best time to visit Kansas City
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are September. Average highs then reach 26 °C80 °F to 26 °C80 °F. Precipitation is 91 mm3.6 in to 91 mm3.6 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 3 °C37 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Kansas City
- Winter (December–February) — highs 337 to 5 °C41 °F, lows −719 to −5 °C24 °F, about 39 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1355 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 033 to 13 °C55 °F, about 105 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2984 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1865 to 21 °C69 °F, about 125 mm4.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1254 to 26 °C80 °F, lows 133 to 14 °C58 °F, about 76 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Kansas City compares
The nearest larger place is Omaha, about 266 km to the northwest. Compared with it, Kansas City is on average 1.8 °C3.2 °F warmer. It receives 32% more precipitation (1,039 mm41 in vs 786 mm31 in). The difference is largest in December (3 °C5.5 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 222 places in the United States. By annual mean temperature, Kansas City is the 142nd warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 97th wettest. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Gumi (South Korea, Dwa), Daegu (South Korea, Dwa) and Sangju (South Korea, Dwa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Kansas City (pop. 152,933) and Independence (pop. 117,255). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Kansas City, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Climate in Overland Park 15 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,039 mm41 in
- Climate in Olathe 32 km · 12 °C54 °F · 999 mm39 in
- Climate in Topeka 95 km · 13 °C55 °F · 961 mm38 in
- Climate in Columbia 195 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,044 mm41 in
- Climate in Springfield 238 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,213 mm48 in
- Climate in Lincoln 260 km · 11 °C52 °F · 752 mm30 in
- Climate in Omaha 266 km · 11 °C51 °F · 786 mm31 in
- Climate in Wichita 287 km · 14 °C58 °F · 851 mm34 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kansas City?
July is the warmest month in Kansas City. Its average high is 32 °C (89 °F) and its average low is 21 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kansas City?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 3 °C (37 °F) and its average low is -7 °C (19 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kansas City?
May is the wettest month with about 141 mm (5.6 in) of precipitation. January is the driest with about 32 mm (1.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Kansas City?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.