Orleans, NE climate
Orleans has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Orleans feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Orleans 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 | 39° | 16° | 0.4" | 6.2" | 4 | 12 | 19° – 40° |
| February | 44° | 19° | 0.7" | 7.2" | 3 | 10 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 55° | 28° | 1.3" | 2.7" | 6 | 3 | 34° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 37° | 2.4" | 1.3" | 7 | 1 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 74° | 48° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| June | 86° | 59° | 3.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| July | 90° | 64° | 4.0" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 62° | 3.2" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 52° | 1.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 67° | 39° | 2.0" | 1.4" | 6 | 1 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 53° | 26° | 1.0" | 3.5" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 47° |
| December | 41° | 18° | 0.7" | 4.7" | 3 | 8 | 21° – 34° |
| Year | 65° | 39° | 25.0" | 27.0" | 70 | 38 |
“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 Orleans
Orleans gets 25 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 70 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 38 days of the year.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first one by October 14. That leaves about 170 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 61% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Orleans
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Orleans, 83% of that work is heating and 17% 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 Orleans 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 Orleans averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°). The shift is smaller than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Orleans’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 19° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Orleans’s climate
What is the coldest month in Orleans?
January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 16°.
What is the hottest month in Orleans?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 64°. About 45 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Orleans get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Orleans?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 14, and the last spring frost by April 25.
What is the rainiest month in Orleans?
July, with 4.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 25 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Orleans itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Orleans 2 W, NE (1 mi, snow) and Harlan Co Lake, NE (13 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.