Discover the 5 Coldest Places in Kansas

Kansas isn’t chiefly known for its cold places. Its location as a midwestern state means the more northern states protect it from the worst of the cold. January is the coldest month in Kansas, but Kansas can get very cold throughout the winter, especially in the northern regions. Discover the five coldest places in Kansas to freeze your nose and chill your bones.

Colby City, Thomas County

Colby City is the coldest place in Kansas, with an annual average low of 37 degrees Fahrenheit and an annual snowfall of 26 inches on average. Over winter, the weather in Colby City is very cold, snowy, windy, and cloudy. The cold season here lasts three months, from the end of November to the end of February.

December is the coldest month in Colby City, with an average low of -6 and a high of 7 degrees F. According to NOAA, the lowest-ever temperature in Colby City was an icy -32 degrees F. This freezing day occurred on December 22, 1989.

Approximately 5,570 people live in Colby City. It’s situated northwest of Kansas, just 45 miles from the Colorado border on I-70 in Thomas County. Its status as the coldest city in Kansas is not surprising when considering its location in the state’s far north.

Goodland, Sherman County

It gets good and cold in Goodland, northwest Kansas, with average low temperatures of below 11 degrees F in winter. Winter lasts from late November to late February in Goodland, and its coldest month is January, which has an average low of – 7 and an average high of 6 degrees F. Its coldest-ever temperatures plummeted the mercury to -27 degrees F.

Wind chill is a big factor as to why Goodland is one of the coldest places in Kansas. It experiences stronger-than-average wind speeds for Kansas, a windy state (ask Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz). The average windspeed is 21 km/h, with much stronger gusts of wind that chill you to the bone.

The average annual snowfall in Goodland is 35.5 inches, although, in 1984, an epic 84.6 inches of snow fell. Snow can fall any time between the end of October and the end of April.

Goodland is situated in Sherman County, 19 miles from the Colorado border, and home to just under 5,000 folks. It was mainly rural and built around the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad.

McDonald, Rawlins County

McDonald is one of the coldest places in Kansas and the state’s snowiest city. According to NOAA, McDonald receives an average of 37.6 inches of snow each year, several inches deeper than neighboring cities.

The coldest month in McDonald is January, when the average low temperature is -2.1 degrees F, but the lowest recorded in McDonald was a bone-chilling -26 degrees F.

McDonald is located in Rawlins County in the northeast of Kansas. Around 113 folks live in the town, and 2,561 live in the county.  

Lebanon, Smith County

Lebanon in Kansas holds the record for the lowest temperature in the state. On February 13, 1905, the temperature plummeted to -40 degrees F – making it one of the coldest places in Kansas without doubt.

January is the Lebanon’s coldest month. During January, highs only reach an average of 4 degrees, and lows frequently reach -6 degrees F.

Lebanon is located in Smith County, north-central Kansas, and in 2020, it had a population of 178 people. The well-known TV show Supernatural was filmed here.

Does It Snow in Kansas?

Yes, it snows in Kansas, and not only in the coldest places we’ve read about above.

The greatest snow depth recorded in Kansas measured 40 inches. This snow blanket occurred in Syracuse City, Hamilton County, in western Kansas, home to 1,826 people today. Syracuse’s record-breaking 40 inches of snow was recorded on December 31, 1918.

The greatest snowfall over 24 hours happened on March 28, 2009, in Pratt. On this day, 30 inches fell, which is unusual because Pratt, in Pratt County, is located in the south-central portion of Kansas.

The Climate in Kansas

Kansas has three climates:

• Humid continental
• Semi-arid steppe
• Humid subtropical

The northern states are subject to Kansas’s coldest weather, with most northern states falling into humid continental or semi-arid steppes. These climatic classifications mark changeable weather from a hot summer to a cold winter. The southern areas are humid subtropical with mild winters.

Thus, Kansas is a state of contradictory weather ranging from painfully freezing to very hot, but all Kansans agree on the wind. Kansas is windy! A cool breeze is appreciated in summer, but in winter, the wind chill can create minus temperatures.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © magcs from Getty Images/ via Canva.com