Olathe Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Olathe, Kansas has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Olathe usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that the city normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when Olathe can expect the first and last snowfalls of the season.
All the numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1981 to 2009 in Olathe.
How Often it Snows in Olathe
This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).
Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
---|---|---|---|
3.1 | January | 4.4 | 11.2 |
2.4 | February | 3.9 | 9.9 |
1.1 | March | 1.6 | 4.1 |
0.1 | April | 0.2 | 0.5 |
0.1 | October | 0.2 | 0.5 |
0.8 | November | 1.1 | 2.8 |
2.6 | December | 3.5 | 8.9 |
10.2 | Year | 14.9 | 37.8 |
These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Olathe varies from year to year.
In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 5.5 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive no snow for the month.
Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 6.7 inches, while the lightest years get less than 1.4 inches.
New snow for February ranges from over 6.2 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 0.7 inches in light years.
When Olathe Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of winter for Olathe can arrive as early as October or as late as January.
The season's last snowfall most often happens in March. In some years it stops snowing in February, while in others April gets a light dusting of snow.
Olathe is normally free of snow every year from May to September.
How Many Snowstorms Olathe Gets
Most days of snowfall in Olathe leave at least an inch of fresh snow. For two days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals three inches or more.
Snowstorms of over five inches a day don't occur every year. Major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are not normal here.
1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1.6 | 0.5 | January | 0.1 | 0.0 |
1.7 | 0.5 | February | 0.1 | 0.0 |
0.7 | 0.2 | March | 0.0 | 0.0 |
0.1 | 0.0 | April | 0.0 | 0.0 |
0.1 | 0.0 | October | 0.0 | 0.0 |
0.5 | 0.1 | November | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1.6 | 0.4 | December | 0.1 | 0.0 |
6.3 | 1.7 | Year | 0.3 | 0.0 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Olathe
For about one-quarter of winter days, Olathe has at least an inch of snow accumulated on the ground.
The snowpack typically builds to over five inches for only three or four days a year. Most years, the snow covering Olathe never gets over ten inches deep.
1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
9.0 | 3.3 | January | 1.1 | 0.0 |
6.5 | 2.6 | February | 1.4 | 0.1 |
1.4 | 0.4 | March | 0.1 | 0.0 |
0.1 | 0.0 | April | 0.0 | 0.0 |
0.9 | 0.1 | November | 0.0 | 0.0 |
6.9 | 2.5 | December | 1.0 | 0.0 |
24.8 | 8.9 | Year | 3.6 | 0.1 |
Reference
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. 1981-2010 U.S. Climate Normals. (Data Access. FTP.)