Ellsworth (15 mi NNE), Nebraska climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)'s normal year runs from 12°F January nights to 86°F July afternoons, with 19.1 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 8.1°C, January lows of −11°C, July highs of 30°C, 485 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationEllsworth (15 mi NNE)
- Station IDUSC00252647
- Location42.27°N 102.21°W
- Elevation3,970 ft (1,210 m)
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Ellsworth (15 mi NNE).
- Jan 35° 12°
- Feb 39° 14°
- Mar 49° 23°
- Apr 57° 31°
- May 68° 42°
- Jun 78° 53°
- Jul 86° 59°
- Aug 84° 56°
- Sep 75° 46°
- Oct 61° 33°
- Nov 48° 21°
- Dec 38° 12°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE) each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 86°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 12°F. The most precipitation falls in June (3.20 in), the least in January (0.29 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35°F | 12°F | 23.5°F | 0.29 | 3 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 20 min |
| February | 39°F | 14°F | 26.5°F | 0.54 | 4 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 49°F | 23°F | 36.1°F | 0.68 | 4 | <1 | 26 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 57°F | 31°F | 44.2°F | 2.30 | 7 | <1 | 17 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 68°F | 42°F | 54.9°F | 3.05 | 9 | <1 | 4 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 78°F | 53°F | 65.2°F | 3.20 | 11 | 3 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| July | 86°F | 59°F | 72.1°F | 2.77 | 8 | 11 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 84°F | 56°F | 70.4°F | 2.02 | 6 | 10 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 75°F | 46°F | 60.6°F | 1.65 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 61°F | 33°F | 47.0°F | 1.73 | 6 | <1 | 13 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 48°F | 21°F | 34.3°F | 0.47 | 3 | <1 | 28 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 38°F | 12°F | 25.0°F | 0.38 | 3 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 60°F | 33°F | 46.6°F | 19.08 | 70 | 27 | 179 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2°C | −11°C | −4.7°C | 7 mm |
| February | 4°C | −10°C | −3.1°C | 14 mm |
| March | 10°C | −5°C | 2.3°C | 17 mm |
| April | 14°C | −1°C | 6.8°C | 58 mm |
| May | 20°C | 6°C | 12.7°C | 77 mm |
| June | 25°C | 11°C | 18.4°C | 81 mm |
| July | 30°C | 15°C | 22.3°C | 70 mm |
| August | 29°C | 14°C | 21.3°C | 51 mm |
| September | 24°C | 8°C | 15.9°C | 42 mm |
| October | 16°C | 1°C | 8.3°C | 44 mm |
| November | 9°C | −6°C | 1.3°C | 12 mm |
| December | 3°C | −11°C | −3.9°C | 10 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Ellsworth (2 mi W) (15 miles away), gets 43 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00252647; 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.
Which months are mildest at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (6).
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 USC00252647.
When is the last frost at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)?
In Ellsworth (15 mi NNE), the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 12 in half of years and after May 26 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 1 in half of years and before September 15 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
- May 121 year in 10 after May 26; 9 in 10 after May 1
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 11 year in 10 before September 15; 9 in 10 before October 14
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 141 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 160 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 2 in half of springs and before October 10 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Ellsworth (15 mi NNE) in zone 5a in ZIP code 69340, 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 USC00252647; 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 at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)?
In a normal year in Ellsworth (15 mi NNE), 27 days a year reach 90°F (1 of them 100°F or more), 179 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 70 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 27a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 179a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 43high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 70a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00252647.
How sunny is it at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)?
Over a year 80% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE), 4.5 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (88%) and April the cloudiest (72%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 76% | 2.1 |
| February | 74% | 3.0 |
| March | 74% | 4.2 |
| April | 72% | 5.3 |
| May | 75% | 6.2 |
| June | 84% | 7.2 |
| July | 88% | 7.2 |
| August | 86% | 6.2 |
| September | 84% | 5.0 |
| October | 78% | 3.4 |
| November | 78% | 2.4 |
| December | 75% | 1.9 |
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 many heating and cooling degree days does Ellsworth (15 mi NNE) record?
A normal year at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE) brings 7,255 heating degree days, 35% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 594 cooling degree days, 35% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,479 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,286 | 0 |
| February | 1,078 | 0 |
| March | 896 | 0 |
| April | 626 | 1 |
| May | 327 | 13 |
| June | 89 | 94 |
| July | 17 | 236 |
| August | 27 | 194 |
| September | 186 | 53 |
| October | 561 | 2 |
| November | 922 | 0 |
| December | 1,241 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,255 | 594 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00252647. 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 Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)'s climate compare?
Ellsworth (15 mi NNE) is warmer than 5 of the 137 places with their own NOAA record in Nebraska, and wetter than 17. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 46.6°F is warmer than 26%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Ellsworth (15 mi NNE) is Dwa: continental, dry-winter, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)'s climate
What is the coldest month at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)?
January, with a normal high of 35°F and a normal low of 12°F. The warmest is July (86°F by day, 59°F at night).
Does it snow at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Ellsworth (2 mi W) (15 miles away), records 43 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)?
June, with 3.20 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 0.29 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Ellsworth (15 mi NNE) in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Ellsworth (15 mi NNE) in zone 5a in ZIP code 69340, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Ellsworth (15 mi NNE)?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 12; in one year in ten it comes after May 26. Waiting until May 26 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Nebraska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Ellsworth (2 mi W), NE15 miles from this station, 47.9°F a year
- Alliance, NE34 miles from this station, 46.2°F a year
- Rushville, NE37 miles from this station, 46.5°F a year
- Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, NE37 miles from this station, 47.6°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made