Kansas Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Topeka, and Olathe
Summary
Kansas experienced a hot, dry month as severe heatwave conditions pushed temperatures well above historical baselines across the state. Webster Dam recorded an all-time station high of 45.6°C (114°F), while excessive humidity generated dangerous heat indices across central and eastern districts. Overall, the state logged an average temperature 1.0°C above its 1961–1990 baseline, with warm conditions expected to persist through late summer.
This month in numbers
Kansas recorded an average temperature of 27.17°C during July 2026, standing 1.0°C above the 1961–1990 baseline to rank as the 18th warmest on record. Maximum daytime temperatures averaged 33.94°C, which ranked 23rd highest, while monthly precipitation dipped to 71.88 mm, 10 mm below normal. On a global scale, land temperatures reached 15.8°C, standing 1.6°C above baseline to rank as the 3rd warmest July on record worldwide.
What changed
Looking across the May–Jul 2026 period, the state recorded a 3-month average temperature of 23.08°C, which was 0.8°C above average and ranked 22nd highest on record. Maximum temperatures over this season averaged 29.91°C, placing 24th highest, while rainfall totalled 326.13 mm, 40.9 mm above baseline for the 25th wettest May–Jul period. Worldwide, global land temperatures over the same 3-month window averaged 14.34°C, standing 1.5°C above baseline as the 2nd warmest such period on record. Longer-term data shows Kansas averaging 13.34°C across 2025, reflecting a long-term warming trend of +1.01°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline.
What’s driving change?
The summer heat across the Central Plains was intensified by that trapped high pressure and dry air over the region, accompanied by as depleted ground moisture limited evaporative cooling. All of Kansas's 4 wildfires this year happened in the past month, with active blazes tracked on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate outlooks indicate that above-normal temperatures are likely to persist across Kansas through late summer and into autumn, while precipitation chances remain near equal for the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Kansas
Köppen Dwa · ContinentalKansas has a continental climate (Köppen Dwa: Humid continental - dry winter, hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 26.2°C, while January is the coldest at -0.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 722mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Kansas
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – Kansas
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Kansas
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – Kansas
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – Kansas
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dwa · ContinentalKansas has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±14.2°C) and a wet/dry cycle (7× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: May (+31 mm, +32%).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Kansas?
Kansas has a continental climate (Köppen Dwa: Humid continental - dry winter, hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 26.2°C, while January is the coldest at -0.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 722mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Kansas climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Kansas climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.