Cottonwood has cold winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Cottonwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cottonwood’s climate
Read from where Cottonwood sits among Nebraska’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
22 inches of snow, 28 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Cottonwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 10.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Cottonwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
165 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 10.
About 22" a winter over 7 days with an inch or more, most in February. Snow covers the ground about 28 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 87% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 33 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 86°.
The nicest months are May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Cottonwood and its neighbors
Loup has the coldest January nights next door (14°) and Loup the hottest July afternoons (87°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cottonwood averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 68% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Cottonwood compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Nebraska.
Cottonwood 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 | 34° | 14° | 0.6" | 6.1" | 4 | 9 | 17° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 17° | 0.7" | 6.2" | 6 | 9 | 16° – 37° |
| March | 51° | 27° | 1.6" | 3.0" | 5 | 2 | 31° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 37° | 2.8" | 1.2" | 8 | 1 | 41° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 4.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 64° | 3.5" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 68° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.3" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 52° | 2.3" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 39° | 2.2" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 27° | 1.2" | 1.0" | 3 | 1 | 29° – 46° |
| December | 37° | 17° | 0.9" | 4.3" | 4 | 6 | 17° – 32° |
| Year | 61° | 39° | 27.6" | 21.8" | 72 | 28 |
Heating and cooling a home in Cottonwood
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Cottonwood’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cottonwood?
January, with a typical high of 34° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Cottonwood?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 33 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cottonwood get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Cottonwood?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 10, and the last spring frost by April 28.
What is the rainiest month in Cottonwood?
May, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cottonwood.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cottonwood itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wolbach, NE (10 mi, snow) and Central City, NE (18 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.