Honestly, if you've spent more than five minutes in the Little Apple, you know the drill. You walk into a coffee shop on Moro Street wearing a light jacket and walk out forty minutes later wondering why the wind is trying to take your soul.
Manhattan KS hourly weather is less of a forecast and more of a mood ring.
Right now, it’s biting. As of Saturday evening, January 17, 2026, the temperature in Manhattan is sitting at a crisp 15°F. But that number is a total lie because the feels-like temperature is 3°F. That’s the "welcome to the Flint Hills" reality check. We’ve got a northwest wind blowing at 10 mph, keeping things clear but bone-chillingly cold.
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The Saturday Night Slide
If you're heading out to Aggieville tonight, dress for a freezer. The sky is clear, which sounds nice until you realize there’s no cloud cover to trap what little heat we had.
We’re looking at a low of 8°F tonight.
Earlier today, we saw a high of 16°F with some intermittent sun, but the humidity is hovering around 46%, which makes that cold air feel exceptionally sharp against your skin. The UV index is a big fat zero—the sun is long gone.
What Sunday Brings
Tomorrow is a weird one. You’ve basically got to plan for two different seasons in one 24-hour span.
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The high is going to hit 47°F.
Compared to today’s 16 degrees, that’s practically a heatwave. But don't break out the shorts just yet. That morning low of 13°F is going to linger, and the wind is actually picking up. We’re expecting northwest gusts at 23 mph.
It’s that classic Kansas "fake spring" that lasts for exactly six hours before the sun drops and you’re freezing again.
Surviving the Week Ahead
The rest of the week is a rollercoaster. Monday stays cold with a high of 28°F, but Tuesday shoots back up to 49°F.
It’s this constant seesaw that drives everyone crazy. One day you’re worried about snow—there’s a 35% chance of snow today, by the way—and the next day you’re watching the frost melt off the Konza Prairie.
- Sunday: Partly sunny, high of 47°F, low of 13°F. Windy.
- Monday: Sunny and cold, high of 28°F, low of 11°F.
- Tuesday: Warming up, high of 49°F, low of 19°F.
- Wednesday: Sunny, high of 46°F, low of 15°F.
Why the Flint Hills Mess With the Forecast
People always ask why the Manhattan KS hourly weather feels so much more intense than Topeka or Wichita.
It’s the geography.
We’re tucked into the Kansas River valley, surrounded by those rolling hills. This topography creates micro-climates. You might have a calm breeze in the lee of a hill near Bill Snyder Family Stadium, but once you hit the ridge on Anderson Avenue, the wind cuts through you like a knife.
The Kansas Mesonet, run right out of K-State, tracks this stuff with insane precision. They’ve seen historical January lows in Manhattan drop as far as -31°F back in 1947. So while 15 degrees feels miserable, it could technically be a lot worse.
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How to Actually Plan Your Day
Basically, stop trusting the "daily high" and start obsessing over the hourly wind chill.
If the wind is coming from the northwest—which it is right now—it’s bringing that Canadian air straight into the valley. Even a "mild" 40-degree day in January can feel like 20 degrees if those gusts are hitting 25 mph.
Actionable Next Steps for Manhattan Residents:
- Check the Wind Direction: If it's Northwest today or tomorrow, add 10 degrees of "misery" to your outfit planning.
- Layer for the 2 PM Peak: Sunday’s 47-degree peak will likely only last from 1 PM to 4 PM. If you're out past sunset, that 13-degree low will catch you off guard.
- Watch the 35% Snow Chance: While it’s currently clear, that 35% chance for today means some flurries could still pop up before midnight as the clouds move in.
Stay warm, grab a coffee, and maybe keep a heavy blanket in the trunk of your car. You never know when the Flint Hills will decide to change their mind.