Chadron, NE Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Chadron's primary NOAA station, CHADRON 3SW.
The climate verdict for Chadron
Dryness leads the climate profile for Chadron, Nebraska, with 18.8 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 48°F. At 44/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 10% of scores.
- 48°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 44/100
- comfort score, above 10% of station-mapped location scores
- 18.8"
- annual precipitation · 50" snow
- 136 days
- frost-free growing season
Chadron: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00251575 · Chadron, NE 48°F mean · 18.8" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 48°F
- RANK-COOL #2,127
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Boscobel
- PRCP-DRY 18.8"
- SWING-WIDE 49°F
- COMF-LOW 44/100
- LOAD-HEAT 6,905 HDD
- STN-1 USC00251575
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Boscobel, WI (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every NE station list.
- Chadron (this station) 48°F
- Hot Winterset, IA 48°F
- Near Boscobel, WI 48°F
- Near Fort Robinson, NE 48°F
- Near Greeley, NE 48°F
Climate Living Index · Chadron
Chadron: 24/100 · grade F
Chadron publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Chadron, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 44/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 18.8 in · 16.3 from 35 in | 42/100 · D |
| Annual temperature balance | 48.0°F · 19.5° from 67.5°F | 32/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 50.3 inches/year | 21/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 136 days/year | 16/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 208 calendar days | 10/100 · F |
Chadron · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Chadron is a continental Köppen climate: Dfa
Coldest-month mean 25.3°F and warmest-month mean 74.0°F place this station in continental, no dry season, hot summer climates (Dfa). Class Dfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Dfa
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 74.0°F
- Coldest month
- 25.3°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Chadron sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Chadron's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 31st percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 74%
- Chadron's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 76%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Chadron is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Chadron compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Chadron's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
44 10th percentile score exceeds 10% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). This entry sits in this band.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Chadron's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 66 complete annual observations from 1915 to 2025, CHADRON 3SW warmed at a fitted rate of 0.21°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Chadron primary station fitted change +0.21 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38°F (3°C) | 13°F (-11°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 0.6" | 5.8" | 29.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 41°F (5°C) | 15°F (-10°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 0.6" | 8.6" | 26.0 | 0.0 |
| March | 52°F (11°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 1.3" | 7.9" | 25.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 59°F (15°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 2.2" | 5.6" | 16.0 | 0.0 |
| May | 69°F (21°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 3.0" | 1.4" | 4.4 | 0.8 |
| June | 81°F (27°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 3.2" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 5.4 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 1.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 15.9 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 1.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 14.8 |
| September | 79°F (26°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 1.5" | 0.0" | 1.8 | 6.3 |
| October | 64°F (18°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 1.4" | 4.7" | 14.0 | 0.4 |
| November | 50°F (10°C) | 22°F (-6°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 0.7" | 6.3" | 25.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 39°F (4°C) | 13°F (-10°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 0.6" | 10.0" | 29.8 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Chadron works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 91°F by July 26 and hold at or above 90°F on 21 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 187 dates, bottoming at 12°F around January 1.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 18 through August 7, covering 21 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 19 to October 3.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 21, then returns to freezing around October 18, covering 187 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is May 21, when 35% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is January 11 at 14%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 79 wet dates a year.
The widest day
September 4 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 34°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Chadron.
Where Chadron Stands Nationally
Freezing is routine here by normals standards — the normal low reaches 32°F or colder on about 187 nights a year, more than most ranked stations.
Daily temperature swings run wider than most of the country, peaking near 34°F between the normal high and low.
Chadron earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 5.8"
4.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 8.6"
5.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.9"
5.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.6"
8.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.4"
11.0 days with precipitation
9.0 days with precipitation
7.2 days with precipitation
6.7 days with precipitation
6.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.7"
5.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 6.3"
4.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 10.0"
5.1 days with precipitation
Chadron runs a summer-peaked wet season
37% of Chadron's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is June at 3.2", on a wide 48.7°F gap between its warmest and coldest month. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: June, May, April, taking 45% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: January at 0.6".
- Winter share: 10% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
How Chadron's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 79 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 18.8" between them, or roughly 0.24 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Winter brings real snow to Chadron
Chadron averages 50.3 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 26 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 50.3 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 26 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 27% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
September 28
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 15
50% probability date
Growing Season
136 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,905
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
746
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside NE closest to Chadron on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (48°F here).
- Ames, IA 48°F · 0.0°F off
- Barrington, IL 48°F · 0.0°F off
- Big Bear Lake, CA 48°F · 0.0°F off
- Billings, MT 48°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (18.8" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Westhope, ND 18.8" · 0.0" off
- Glennallen, AK 18.7" · 0.0" off
- Upham, ND 18.8" · 0.0" off
- Kenai, AK 18.8" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Chadron
heating led · dry · mid swing
Chadron's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 6,905 annual heating degree days against 746 for cooling. Its 48.7°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 136 days are frost-free in a normal year. That short interval is consistent with the cold-season signal, but the measure does not predict the exact first or last freeze in any one year.
-
1. Chadron coldest normal
January
Averaging 25°F (-4°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Chadron typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Chadron snow peak
December
Chadron averages 50.3 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Chadron's climate
How much snow does Chadron get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Chadron get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Chadron? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Chadron's primary station: CHADRON 3SW (USC00251575). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 3108605). Match rule for Chadron: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Chadron comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.