Elk Creek has cold winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Elk Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elk Creek’s climate
Read from where Elk Creek sits among Nebraska’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
21 inches of snow, 33 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Elk Creek averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
What a year in Elk Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 13.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Elk Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
172 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 13.
About 21" a winter over 8 days with an inch or more, most in January. Snow covers the ground about 31 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 84% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 37 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 88°.
The nicest months are May, June, 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 Elk Creek compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Nebraska.
Elk Creek 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 | 36° | 15° | 0.8" | 5.6" | 5 | 11 | 18° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 19° | 1.1" | 5.5" | 5 | 8 | 20° – 40° |
| March | 53° | 30° | 2.0" | 2.6" | 7 | 3 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 44° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 5.2" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 4.6" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 88° | 65° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 63° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 54° | 2.9" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 42° | 2.6" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 29° | 1.6" | 1.7" | 5 | 2 | 32° – 50° |
| December | 40° | 20° | 1.2" | 4.7" | 5 | 7 | 16° – 35° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 32.7" | 21.4" | 88 | 31 |
Heating and cooling a home in Elk Creek
84% 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 34° to 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Elk Creek’s climate
What is the coldest month in Elk Creek?
January, with a typical high of 36° and a low of 15°.
What is the hottest month in Elk Creek?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 65°. About 37 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Elk Creek get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Elk Creek?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 13, and the last spring frost by April 23.
What is the rainiest month in Elk Creek?
May, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elk Creek.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Elk Creek itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Table Rock 4n, NE (4 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.