Kansas Climate
Top 5 Cities: Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Topeka, and Olathe
This month in numbers
March 2026 was exceptionally warm for Kansas, ranking as the 2nd warmest March in 77 years of records, with an average temperature of 11.67°C, a significant 5.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures were also notably high, reaching 20.61°C on average, making it the 2nd warmest March for maximum temperatures on record. The period of January to March 2026 also stands out as the warmest on record for maximum temperatures, averaging 14.2°C, and the 2nd warmest for average temperatures at 6°C.
What changed
Kansas experienced a significantly warmer-than-average start to the year, with the January–March 2026 period ranking as the 2nd warmest on record for average temperatures and the warmest for maximum temperatures. This trend aligns with a broader pattern across the United States, as 10 of the top 10 warmest regions for the latest month's anomaly were US states, and 9 of the top 10 for the 3-month anomaly were also US states. Kansas itself ranked 11th globally for its 1-month temperature anomaly and 10th for its 3-month anomaly, highlighting a pronounced regional warming trend.
What’s driving change?
The pronounced warmth in Kansas is influenced by a combination of factors. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February-April 2026, though forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing by May-July 2026, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the region ENSO tracker. Kansas has also been experiencing ongoing drought conditions, with two drought events active between August 2025 and May 2026, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, an unusual concentration for the region. This further exacerbates warming, as the lack of moisture limits evaporative cooling. Additionally, a flood event occurred in April 2026, which also represents 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, indicating an unusual concentration of both drought and flood events Extreme Weather tracker. Strong northwest winds with gusts between 55 and 65 mph were also reported in mid-March, causing blowing dust and reduced visibility across central and western Kansas.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks suggest a higher likelihood of above-average temperatures and below-normal precipitation across much of Kansas through June.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Kansas
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Kansas changing?
Kansas is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Kansas come from?
Climate data for Kansas comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Kansas climate data cover?
The Kansas climate profile covers Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Topeka and surrounding areas. Kansas climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Kansas climate update refreshed?
The Kansas climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.