What Are the Warmest Cities in Kansas?
In this article I’m going to share with you my ranking of the warmest places in Kansas.
I created my list by researching data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other climate data providers.
Below I’m listing the top 10 warmest places in Kansas that have the highest average yearly temperatures. Later in the article I share a table with 30 most populous cities in Kansas.
Top 10 Warmest Cities in Kansas
Here are the top 10 warmest places in Kansas ranked by their daily mean temperature. Kansas weather is relatively uniform throughout the state so average temperatures for the following cities are very similar. If you’re looking for the best weather in the Sunflower State, any of the top 10 cities will be a good option as the difference between the warmest city and the tenth warmest city is only 1 degree.
For the top five cities I also give average winter and summer temperatures.
1. Wichita – daily mean temperature of 57.65 °F
The largest city of Kansas is also the warmest city in the state. Wichita has relatively mild winters with cool days. The average maximum temperature is 44-49 °F. Nights experience average low temperatures of 23-26 °F. The coldest temperature recorded in Wichita was -22 °F. Summer months are very hot, with average high temperatures reaching 88-93 °F and dropping at night to 66-70 °F.
Wichita enjoys plenty of sunshine year round, with 2,922 hours of sunshine. This makes summer temperatures even hotter—and cool winter temperatures a little easier to tolerate. The center of the city, as is the case for every city, experiences urban heat island effect and is even warmer.
Winter temperatures: highs of 44-49 °F, lows of 23-26 °F
Summer temperatures: highs of 88-93 °F, lows of 66-70 °F
2. Independence – daily mean temperature of 57.5 °F
Independence is a city of 8,500 people, located in Southern Kansas. As is the case with all cities in this ranking, the differences between Wichita and Independence are small. Climate data shows slightly warmer winters (daytime temperatures between 45-50 °F) and slightly cooler summer months (daytime temperatures between 85-91 °F.).
Winter temperatures: highs of 45-50 °F, lows of 23-26 °F
Summer temperatures: highs of 86-91 °F, lows of 65-70 °F
3. Pittsburg – daily mean temperature of 57.45 °F
Pittsburg is a city of 21,000 inhabitants. It’s situated 123 miles south of Kansas City, KS. Pittsburg gets moderate winters that are about a degree cooler than in Wichita. It also has cooler summers, with temperatures during the day between 86-90 °F.
Winter temperatures: highs of 43-48 °F, lows of 24-28 °F
Summer temperatures: highs of 86-90 °F, lows of 65-70 °F
4. Great Bend – daily mean temperature of 57 °F
Great Bend is a city of 15,000 people. It lies 114 miles northwest of Wichita. Great Bend has hotter summers than Wichita. In the warmest month, temperatures reach 94 °F. This makes Great Bend a city with some of the hottest summers in the entire state. Due to its location at the convergence of three climate zones (humid continental, humid subtropical, and semi-arid), Great Bend is the driest city in this ranking.
Winter temperatures: highs of 43-47 °F, lows of 18-21 °F
Summer temperatures: highs of 87-91 °F, lows of 61-65 °F
5. Kansas City – daily mean temperature of 56.9 °F
Kansas City is the fifth warmest city in Kansas. It forms a metropolitan area with much more populous Kansas City, Missouri. If you’re looking for the best weather in the cold season, Kansas City isn’t it as it has the coolest winters in this ranking. Average high temperatures reach 40-45 °F while lows drop to 22-27 °F. These are cold winters for Kansas standards.
Winter temperatures: highs of 40-45 °F, lows of 22-27 °F
Summer temperatures: highs of 86-90 °F, lows of 67-72 °F
6. Chanute – daily mean temperature of 56.9 °F
Chanute is a city of about 9,000 people, located in Eastern Kansas, 109 miles east of Wichita. It has some of the coolest summers on this list. Between June and August, average temperatures during the day are between 84-90 °F. Winters are between 42-48 °F.
7. Haysville – daily mean temperature of 56.75 °F
Haysville is a suburb of Wichita, lying 12 miles south of the city. Due to proximity, both cities have a very similar climate. Haysville gets summer days that are cooler by about a degree.
8. Ottawa – daily mean temperature of 56.7 °F
Ottawa, a city of 13,000 people, is located 53 miles southwest of Kansas City, KS. It has some of the coldest winter nights out of all cities in this ranking, with temperatures dropping to 21-26 °F. Daytime temperatures are almost the same as in Kansas City.
9. El Dorado – daily mean temperature of 56.55 °F
The small city of El Dorado is located 30 miles northeast of Wichita, near El Dorado Lake. If you’re looking for a smaller city in Kansas that has easy access to a larger body of water, El Dorado may be your best option. El Dorado has mild winters with average highs of 44-49 °F. Summers reach 86-91 °F.
10. Parsons – daily mean temperature of 56.5 °F
Parsons is located in the southeastern corner of Kansas, 31 miles northeast of Independence. Even though it’s the tenth warmest city in the state, it isn’t much colder than cities featured in top 3. Compared to Wichita, its temperatures between December and February are 1-2 degrees lower. It also has slightly cooler summers.
Video Summary of the Warmest Kansas Cities
30 Biggest Cities in Kansas Ranked by Daily Mean Temperature
I created the table below by researching data for the most populous municipalities in Kansas. When I couldn’t find weather data collected for a given city, I moved on to another. While the list includes 30 cities, some of the bigger cities may be missing because there was no data for them. Please check the closest geographically city then.
| City | Average high temperature (°F) | Average low temperature (°F) | Daily mean temperature (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | 68.8 | 46.5 | 57.65 |
| Independence | 69 | 46 | 57.5 |
| Pittsburg | 67.9 | 47 | 57.45 |
| Great Bend | 70 | 44 | 57 |
| Kansas City | 66.3 | 47.5 | 56.9 |
| Chanute | 67.3 | 46.5 | 56.9 |
| Haysville | 68.6 | 44.9 | 56.75 |
| Ottawa | 67.4 | 46 | 56.7 |
| El Dorado | 68.6 | 44.5 | 56.55 |
| Parsons | 67 | 46 | 56.5 |
| Coffeyville | 68 | 45 | 56.5 |
| Winfield | 68.6 | 44.2 | 56.4 |
| Newton | 67.5 | 44.9 | 56.2 |
| Salina | 67.4 | 44.8 | 56.1 |
| Liberal | 70.3 | 41.9 | 56.1 |
| Hutchinson | 68 | 44 | 56 |
| McPherson | 68.1 | 43.2 | 55.65 |
| Overland Park | 66 | 45 | 55.5 |
| Emporia | 67 | 44 | 55.5 |
| Prairie Village | 65 | 46 | 55.5 |
| Dodge City | 68.2 | 42.6 | 55.4 |
| Topeka | 66.1 | 44.2 | 55.15 |
| Olathe | 65 | 45.2 | 55.1 |
| Leavenworth | 66 | 44 | 55 |
| Manhattan | 67.1 | 42.6 | 54.85 |
| Lawrence | 64.8 | 43.6 | 54.2 |
| Garden City | 67.8 | 40.6 | 54.2 |
| Atchison | 63.9 | 44.5 | 54.2 |
| Hays | 67 | 40.9 | 53.95 |
| Junction City | 64.9 | 41.6 | 53.25 |
Check the Warmest Cities in Neighboring States
If you’re interested in learning about the warmest cities in states neighboring Kansas, check out the following articles:
- What Are the Warmest Cities in Colorado?
- What Are the Warmest Cities in Missouri?
- What Are the Warmest Cities in Nebraska?
- What Are the Warmest Cities in Oklahoma?
Also check my article on the warmest cities in the US in every state.