Cook, NE climate
Cook has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cook feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cook 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 15° | 0.8" | 7.4" | 3 | 9 | 17° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 19° | 1.0" | 6.0" | 3 | 8 | 19° – 39° |
| March | 53° | 30° | 1.9" | 1.5" | 5 | 3 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 3.0" | 1.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 5.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.6" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.1" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.7" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 54° | 3.0" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 42° | 2.6" | 0.8" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 29° | 1.5" | 0.6" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 51° |
| December | 39° | 19° | 1.2" | 3.7" | 3 | 6 | 16° – 35° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 32.7" | 21.0" | 61 | 26 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Cook
Cook gets 33 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 61 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 26 days of the year.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first one by October 10. That leaves about 164 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 67% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Cook
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cook, 85% of that work is heating and 15% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Cook compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cook averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cook’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 34° to 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Cook’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cook?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 15°.
What is the hottest month in Cook?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 35 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cook get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Cook?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 10, and the last spring frost by April 26.
What is the rainiest month in Cook?
May, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cook itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Sterling, NE (12 mi, snow) and Tecumseh 1s, NE (11 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.