Your nature year
Manhattan, Kansasthrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Manhattan?
Head southeast for the closest of the 3 places we follow around Manhattan. For a day trip, Flint Hills Refuge is 70 miles off; its winter wildlife is their peak numbers occurring in November (local timing).
Frost usually lets go around Apr 16 and comes back around Oct 19, according to the Manhattan weather station (1.4 mi): roughly 186 days without it. Spring green-up reaches town around Mar 20, with first blooms around Apr 20. At some 1,027 feet up, Manhattan is on higher ground than most towns in the region.
Updated Sep 27. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Manhattan's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 16 to ~Oct 19
- First leaf ~Mar 20
- First bloom ~Apr 20
- Today
Near Manhattan right now
- First fall frost usually around Oct 19 · last spring frost around Apr 16NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Manhattan (1.4 mi, 50% dates)~3 weeks
- Winter wildlife · Flint Hills Refuge · 70 miLocal timing: their peak numbers occurring in November~5 weeks
Manhattan's nature year
- Mar: Spring green-upMar
- Apr: Last spring frostApr
- Oct: First fall frostOct
- Nov: Winter wildlife · Flint Hills RefugeNov
Nearby, season by season
Winter wildlife
- Flint Hills Refuge · 70 miLocal timing: their peak numbers occurring in November~5 weeks
- Loess Bluffs Refuge · 95 miLocal timing: Oct 15–Nov 30~2 weeks
- Quivira Refuge · 127 miLocal timing: Nov 1–30~5 weeks
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 16
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 19
About 186 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Mar 20
First bloom around Apr 20
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Manhattan (1.4 mi from Manhattan), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Manhattan?
On average around Oct 19, and the last spring frost around Apr 16: about 186 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Manhattan, 1.4 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Manhattan?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 20 and first bloom around Apr 20, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see winter wildlife near Manhattan?
Flint Hills Refuge, 70 miles (local timing: their peak numbers occurring in November); Loess Bluffs Refuge, 95 miles (local timing: Oct 15–Nov 30); Quivira Refuge, 127 miles (local timing: Nov 1–30). Distances are straight-line.
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27)