Omaha, NE climate
Omaha has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Omaha feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 14° | 0.8" | 6.9" | 6 | 15 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 18° | 1.0" | 9.8" | 7 | 12 | 17° – 38° |
| March | 51° | 29° | 1.9" | 5.7" | 8 | 4 | 32° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.3" | 2.3" | 10 | 1 | 44° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 4.9" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 5.0" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 86° | 66° | 3.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 70° – 83° |
| August | 84° | 64° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 2.5" | 1.5" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 49° | 29° | 1.4" | 1.8" | 5 | 1 | 30° – 50° |
| December | 37° | 19° | 1.3" | 6.2" | 7 | 9 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 32.9" | 34.4" | 102 | 42 |
“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 Omaha
Omaha gets 33 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 42 days of the year.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first one by October 18. That leaves about 183 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 56% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Omaha
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Omaha, 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.
Omaha and its neighbors
Omaha borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Council Bluffs has both the coldest January nights (14°) and the hottest July afternoons (87°). Omaha’s January low is 14° and its July high 86°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Omaha 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 Omaha averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°). The shift is smaller than in 70% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Omaha’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 32° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Omaha’s climate
What is the coldest month in Omaha?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Omaha?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 15 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Omaha get?
About 34 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 18, and the last spring frost by April 16.
What is the rainiest month in Omaha?
June, with 5.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 33 inches.
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 Bennington 3wsw, NE (10 mi, snow) and Omaha #1, NE (6 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.