Kansas weather has always had a mind of its own, but this year feels like it’s showing off. Oct. arrived with a chill that made it seem like fall finally intended to stick around. Mornings carried that sharp cold bite, the kind that makes you dig out gloves you swore you wouldn’t need yet. For a moment, it felt almost predictable.

Then came Nov. or at least the first half of it warm enough to make you question everything again. We went from jackets to short sleeves in the span of a week. Some days didn’t even feel like fall. It was the kind of warmth that tricks trees into delaying their final drop of leaves and makes you reconsider putting away the patio furniture. Kansans joked that the state couldn’t make up its mind, but beneath the humor was the same old frustration: nothing stays steady for long here.

Then, as if flipping a switch, the weather turned again. Snow arrived suddenly, coating everything like winter had been waiting just out of sight. One week we were enjoying mild afternoons— the next, people were scraping ice off windshields and pulling out heavy coats they hadn’t planned to use so soon. It’s the sort of whiplash that makes Kansans shrug because, honestly, what else can you do?

We joke that Kansas weather can’t be trusted, but maybe we are too quick to brush it off. These sharper swings aren’t just quirky personality traits of the plains. They’re reminders of how unpredictable and extreme our seasons have become.

Whether it’s climate change, shifting patterns or simply Kansas being Kansas, one thing is clear, the rest of the country may complain about their weather, but few places match the speed and severity of ours. If this fall is any sign of what future seasons will look like, Kansans may need more than just patience. They will need to keep every type of clothing in reach, all year long.

Edited by Anushma Dahal and Stuti Khadka