Memphis has cold winters and warm summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Memphis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Memphis’s climate
Read from where Memphis sits among Nebraska’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Living with Memphis’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
175 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 16.
About 22" a winter over 7 days with an inch or more, most in February. Snow covers the ground about 30 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 85% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 37 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 87°.
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 →22 inches of snow, 32 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Memphis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 16.
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 Memphis averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Memphis compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Nebraska.
Memphis 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 | 33° | 14° | 0.8" | 5.7" | 4 | 11 | 16° – 37° |
| February | 39° | 18° | 1.0" | 6.2" | 5 | 9 | 18° – 38° |
| March | 51° | 29° | 1.8" | 3.2" | 6 | 1 | 33° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.0" | 0.9" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 4.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 3.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 54° | 3.1" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 42° | 2.4" | 0.6" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 29° | 1.4" | 0.7" | 4 | 1 | 30° – 50° |
| December | 38° | 19° | 1.3" | 4.8" | 5 | 8 | 15° – 34° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 31.9" | 22.1" | 81 | 30 |
Heating and cooling a home in Memphis
85% 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 33° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Memphis’s climate
What is the coldest month in Memphis?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Memphis?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 37 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Memphis get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Memphis?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 16, and the last spring frost by April 23.
What is the rainiest month in Memphis?
May, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 32 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Memphis.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Memphis itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ashland #2, NE (5 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.