Omaha has chilly winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Omaha at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Omaha’s climate
Read from where Omaha sits among Illinois’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
What a year in Omaha feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
12 inches of snow, 47 of rain and melt
April is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 19.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Omaha averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
Living with Omaha’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
183 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 19.
About 12" a winter over 5 days with an inch or more, most in February.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 80% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 38 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 88°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →How Omaha compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Illinois.
Omaha weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 25° | 3.4" | 2.5" | 10 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 3.1" | 4.9" | 9 | 26° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 36° | 4.5" | 1.8" | 11 | 39° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 5.2" | 0 | 11 | 50° – 62° |
| May | 77° | 56° | 4.8" | 0 | 12 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.3" | 0 | 11 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.1" | 0 | 10 | 73° – 85° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 3.3" | 0 | 8 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.3" | 0 | 7 | 65° – 75° |
| October | 70° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 9 | 38° – 53° |
| December | 45° | 28° | 3.7" | 2.1" | 10 | 24° – 46° |
| Year | 67° | 46° | 47.2" | 11.7" | 116 |
Heating and cooling a home in Omaha
80% of the work is heating.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 46°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Omaha’s climate
What is the coldest month in Omaha?
January, with a typical high of 41° and a low of 25°.
What is the hottest month in Omaha?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 38 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Omaha get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Omaha?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by April 15.
What is the rainiest month in Omaha?
April, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 47 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Omaha.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Omaha itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Carmi 3, IL (14 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.