Pierce, NE climate
Pierce has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Pierce feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Pierce 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° | 11° | 0.6" | 6.3" | 4 | 17 | 15° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 15° | 0.8" | 5.7" | 5 | 16 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 49° | 25° | 1.5" | 4.7" | 7 | 7 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 36° | 2.9" | 2.7" | 8 | 1 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 4.0" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| July | 86° | 63° | 3.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 67° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 51° | 2.6" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 25° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 5 | 4 | 27° – 45° |
| December | 35° | 15° | 0.8" | 6.8" | 5 | 14 | 14° – 30° |
| Year | 60° | 37° | 27.4" | 30.0" | 83 | 59 |
“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 Pierce
Pierce gets 27 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 59 days of the year.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 4. That leaves about 156 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 75% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Pierce
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Pierce, 90% of that work is heating and 10% 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 Pierce 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 Pierce averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is smaller than in 91% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Pierce’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 29° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Pierce’s climate
What is the coldest month in Pierce?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Pierce?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 63°. About 19 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Pierce get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Pierce?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 4, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Pierce?
June, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 27 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Pierce itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Pierce, NE (1 mi, snow) and Norfolk 4w, NE (12 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.