Hays, Kansas Weather
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Hays weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Showers69%0.43″77°62°—
- FridayJun 5Thunderstorm——93°64°+16°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast13%—93°70°0°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——93°64°0°
- MondayJun 8Overcast33%—99°72°+6°
- TuesdayJun 9Clear33%—111°75°+12°
- WednesdayJun 10Mostly Clear——109°77°-2°
Ozone at AQI 43. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~94%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 43. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~94%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 43
- UV peak
- 2.4 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 7
PM × Wind × Precip
PM scrubbed by 4 hours of recent rain — PM2.5 down to 4.8 µg/m³, PM10 to 5.3 µg/m³.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.91
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 4h in last 6h
- Pattern
- washed out
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 5:03 AM
- Moonset
- 2:44 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias
Hays at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 6°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 9 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Hays
SPC has placed Hays in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.
- TODAYMRGLMarginal Risk
- TOMORROWMRGLMarginal Risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Hays's warmest month is July (~80°F mean) and its coldest is January (~32°F). Rainfall peaks in July (4.1 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.6 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 0.6″ | 2 |
| February | 35° | 0.8″ | 2 |
| March | 45° | 1.3″ | 3 |
| April | 53° | 2.2″ | 5 |
| May | 64° | 3.6″ | 6 |
| June | 76° | 3.1″ | 5 |
| July | 80° | 4.1″ | 5 |
| August | 78° | 3.6″ | 6 |
| September | 70° | 2.1″ | 4 |
| October | 56° | 1.8″ | 4 |
| November | 43° | 0.9″ | 2 |
| December | 34° | 0.8″ | 2 |
Regional context
Hays's baseline climate, derived from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals at the nearest reporting station, swings from a January mean of 32°F to a July mean of 80°F — a 48°F seasonal arc typical of the mid-latitude bands. Annual precipitation runs about 24.8 inches spread across roughly 45 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: July averages 4.1 inches across 5.4 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while January drops to just 0.6 inches across 1.5 rainy days under drier cool-season air. That wet-warm-summer pattern groups Hays with places like Munjor, KS, Catharine, KS and Victoria, KS — a regional cohort where summer thunderstorm season carries more than half the annual moisture.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around mid-April, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, and basil — typically wait two weeks past that date to avoid late spring cold snaps. The window closes around mid-November, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. Those dates are 30-year averages; the actual frost-free window in a given year can vary by 10-14 days at either end. Neighborhood-scale variation in elevation and cold-air pooling means the practical last-frost date inside Hays can lag the regional mean by 5-10 days in low spots, and a bench position with good cold-air drainage can run a week ahead.
Similar climates: Munjor, KS, Catharine, KS, Victoria, KS, Schoenchen, KS, Ellis, KS.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Hays?
- Hays's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Hays?
- July is the wettest month with about 4.1 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 25 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Hays?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 80°F.
- What is the coldest month in Hays?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 32°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Hays?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Hays get?
- Hays averages about 45 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Hays?
- Hays's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Hays, Kansas sits in a humid subtropical climate zone. January means hover near 32°F while July averages 80°F — a 48°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Hays receives about 25 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 45 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (38.9°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.