Union, NE climate
Union has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Union feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Union 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 | 31° | 12° | 0.6" | 6.5" | 5 | 17 | 13° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 15° | 0.8" | 7.4" | 5 | 13 | 13° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 26° | 1.4" | 5.3" | 7 | 6 | 27° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 36° | 3.0" | 4.1" | 9 | 2 | 39° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 3.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| July | 87° | 63° | 3.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 68° – 83° |
| August | 84° | 61° | 3.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 52° | 2.8" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| October | 63° | 39° | 2.4" | 0.8" | 7 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 26° | 1.0" | 5.0" | 5 | 3 | 27° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 16° | 0.7" | 7.3" | 5 | 15 | 13° – 30° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 26.6" | 36.6" | 88 | 56 |
“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 Union
Union gets 27 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 56 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 13. That leaves about 170 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 61% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Union
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Union, 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.
Union and its neighbors
Union borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Spade has the coldest January nights (12°) and Niobrara the hottest July afternoons (87°). Union’s January low is 12° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Union 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 Union averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°). The shift is smaller than in 77% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Union’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 27° to 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Union’s climate
What is the coldest month in Union?
January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 12°.
What is the hottest month in Union?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 63°. About 37 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Union get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Union?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 13, and the last spring frost by April 25.
What is the rainiest month in Union?
May, with 4.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 27 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Union itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Tyndall, SD (17 mi, snow) and Niobrara, NE (8 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.