Wichita is located in the Central Great Plains where masses of warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collide with cold dry air from the Arctic region. Consequently, Wichita enjoys a distinct four season climate and wide range of weather the year around. Wichita's climate is best described as mild, with brief periods of extremes. Wichita averages 128 clear days and 97 partly cloudy days per year, for a total of 225 days of sunshine. The prevailing wind is southerly and averages about 9 miles per hour.
Summers are usually tolerably warm and moderated by steady wind and relatively low humidity.
Temperatures above 90 degrees occur an average of 63 days per year. Winters are usually mild with short periods of very cold weather. Temperatures below zero occur about 2 days per year. Snowfall is light, averaging 15 inches per year from December through March. Occurrences of more than 1 inch of snow, ice or sleet happen on average about 5 times per year.