Clarkson, Nebraska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Clarkson's normal year runs from 11°F January nights to 86°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.3°C, January lows of −12°C, July highs of 30°C.
- NOAA stationClarkson
- Station IDUSC00251660
- Location41.72°N 97.13°W
- Elevation1,550 ft (472 m)
- From the centerunder 1 mile
- Population638
On October 22, the normal high in Clarkson is 60°F and the normal low 36°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Clarkson.
- Jan 31° 11°
- Feb 36° 15°
- Mar 49° 25°
- Apr 61° 37°
- May 72° 48°
- Jun 82° 60°
- Jul 86° 64°
- Aug 83° 62°
- Sep 76° 52°
- Oct 63° 38°
- Nov 47° 25°
- Dec 35° 16°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Clarkson each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 86°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 11°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°F | 11°F | 20.9°F | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 30 min |
| February | 36°F | 15°F | 25.2°F | – | <1 | 26 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 49°F | 25°F | 36.9°F | – | <1 | 24 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 61°F | 37°F | 48.5°F | – | <1 | 10 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 72°F | 48°F | 60.0°F | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 82°F | 60°F | 70.9°F | – | 6 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| July | 86°F | 64°F | 74.8°F | – | 10 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 83°F | 62°F | 72.2°F | – | 7 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 76°F | 52°F | 63.6°F | – | 2 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 63°F | 38°F | 50.4°F | – | <1 | 9 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 47°F | 25°F | 35.8°F | – | <1 | 25 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 35°F | 16°F | 25.3°F | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 60°F | 38°F | 48.7°F | – | 26 | 156 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1°C | −12°C | −6.2°C |
| February | 2°C | −9°C | −3.8°C |
| March | 9°C | −4°C | 2.7°C |
| April | 16°C | 3°C | 9.2°C |
| May | 22°C | 9°C | 15.6°C |
| June | 28°C | 16°C | 21.6°C |
| July | 30°C | 18°C | 23.8°C |
| August | 28°C | 16°C | 22.3°C |
| September | 24°C | 11°C | 17.6°C |
| October | 17°C | 3°C | 10.2°C |
| November | 8°C | −4°C | 2.1°C |
| December | 2°C | −9°C | −3.7°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Howells (6 miles away), gets 24 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00251660; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Clarkson?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August and September.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00251660.
When is the last frost in Clarkson?
In Clarkson, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 27 in half of years and after May 11 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 10 in half of years and before September 28 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 271 year in 10 after May 11; 9 in 10 after April 13
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 101 year in 10 before September 28; 9 in 10 before October 23
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 165 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 184 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 18 in half of springs and before October 20 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Clarkson in zone 5b in ZIP code 68629, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Nebraska · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00251660; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Clarkson?
In a normal year in Clarkson, 26 days a year reach 90°F and 156 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 26a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 156a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 53high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1940) is 111°F, on July 11, 1954; the lowest is −31°F, on January 12, 1974.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1984, with 43.30 in; the snowiest season is 1983–84, with 57.3 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00251660; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00251660. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Clarkson?
Over a year 78% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Clarkson, 4.3 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (84%) and March the cloudiest (71%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 75% | 2.2 |
| February | 76% | 3.1 |
| March | 71% | 4.0 |
| April | 73% | 5.1 |
| May | 74% | 5.9 |
| June | 81% | 6.7 |
| July | 84% | 6.7 |
| August | 82% | 5.7 |
| September | 81% | 4.6 |
| October | 77% | 3.3 |
| November | 77% | 2.4 |
| December | 72% | 1.8 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Clarkson need?
A normal year in Clarkson brings 6,794 heating degree days, 26% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 896 cooling degree days, 1% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,101 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,367 | 0 |
| February | 1,113 | 0 |
| March | 871 | 0 |
| April | 503 | 8 |
| May | 207 | 50 |
| June | 31 | 206 |
| July | 4 | 306 |
| August | 11 | 236 |
| September | 123 | 83 |
| October | 459 | 8 |
| November | 875 | 0 |
| December | 1,232 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,794 | 896 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00251660. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Clarkson's climate compare?
Clarkson is warmer than 41 of the other 136 places with their own NOAA record in Nebraska. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 48.7°F is warmer than 35%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Clarkson share this climate record?
Leigh has no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of its own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Leigh, NE449 people · 6 mi W
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Clarkson's climate
What is the coldest month in Clarkson?
January, with a normal high of 31°F and a normal low of 11°F. The warmest is July (86°F by day, 64°F at night).
Does it snow in Clarkson?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Clarkson's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Howells (6 miles away), records 24 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Clarkson in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Clarkson in zone 5b in ZIP code 68629, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Clarkson?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 27; in one year in ten it comes after May 11. Waiting until May 11 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Nebraska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Howells, NE6 miles from this station, 50.3°F a year
- Stanton, NE17 miles from this station, 49.4°F a year
- Madison, NE18 miles from this station, 48.5°F a year
- Columbus, NE21 miles from this station, 50.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made