Mitchell, Nebraska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Mitchell's normal year runs from 16°F December nights to 88°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.4°C, December lows of −9°C, July highs of 31°C.
- NOAA stationMitchell (5 mi E)
- Station IDUSC00255590
- Location41.95°N 103.70°W
- Elevation4,080 ft (1,244 m)
- Population1,521
On October 23, the normal high in Mitchell is 60°F and the normal low 31°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Mitchell.
- Jan 41° 16°
- Feb 42° 18°
- Mar 52° 25°
- Apr 61° 33°
- May 70° 43°
- Jun 82° 53°
- Jul 88° 59°
- Aug 85° 56°
- Sep 77° 46°
- Oct 63° 34°
- Nov 50° 24°
- Dec 40° 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 Mitchell each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 88°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 16°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F | 16°F | 28.3°F | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 30 min |
| February | 42°F | 18°F | 30.1°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 52°F | 25°F | 38.7°F | – | <1 | 25 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 61°F | 33°F | 46.9°F | – | <1 | 15 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 70°F | 43°F | 56.7°F | – | 1 | 3 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 82°F | 53°F | 67.7°F | – | 8 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| July | 88°F | 59°F | 73.5°F | – | 15 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 85°F | 56°F | 70.6°F | – | 9 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 77°F | 46°F | 61.8°F | – | 4 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 63°F | 34°F | 48.5°F | – | <1 | 13 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 50°F | 24°F | 36.9°F | – | <1 | 26 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 40°F | 16°F | 27.8°F | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 63°F | 35°F | 49.0°F | – | 37 | 170 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | −9°C | −2.1°C |
| February | 5°C | −8°C | −1.1°C |
| March | 11°C | −4°C | 3.7°C |
| April | 16°C | 0°C | 8.3°C |
| May | 21°C | 6°C | 13.7°C |
| June | 28°C | 12°C | 19.8°C |
| July | 31°C | 15°C | 23.1°C |
| August | 30°C | 13°C | 21.4°C |
| September | 25°C | 8°C | 16.6°C |
| October | 17°C | 1°C | 9.2°C |
| November | 10°C | −5°C | 2.7°C |
| December | 4°C | −9°C | −2.3°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Scottsbluff (1 mi E) (7 miles away), gets 40 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00255590; 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 Mitchell?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June 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 USC00255590.
When is the last frost in Mitchell?
In Mitchell, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 7 in half of years and after May 21 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 2 in half of years and before September 18 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 71 year in 10 after May 21; 9 in 10 after April 26
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 21 year in 10 before September 18; 9 in 10 before October 15
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 147 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 168 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 28 in half of springs and before October 10 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Mitchell in zone 5a in ZIP code 69357, 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 USC00255590; 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 Mitchell?
In a normal year in Mitchell, 37 days a year reach 90°F (2 of them 100°F or more) and 170 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 37a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 170a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 29high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1909) is 108°F, on July 20, 1939; the lowest is −41°F, on December 21, 1989.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1915, with 23.75 in; the snowiest season is 1989–90, with 47.0 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00255590; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00255590. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Mitchell?
Over a year 80% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Mitchell, 4.6 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (86%) and April the cloudiest (73%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 79% | 2.4 |
| February | 75% | 3.2 |
| March | 76% | 4.4 |
| April | 73% | 5.4 |
| May | 75% | 6.3 |
| June | 84% | 7.3 |
| July | 86% | 7.1 |
| August | 86% | 6.3 |
| September | 85% | 5.1 |
| October | 79% | 3.6 |
| November | 79% | 2.5 |
| December | 75% | 2.0 |
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 Mitchell need?
A normal year in Mitchell brings 6,506 heating degree days, 21% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 690 cooling degree days, 24% 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 2,710 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,139 | 0 |
| February | 977 | 0 |
| March | 815 | 0 |
| April | 543 | 1 |
| May | 281 | 23 |
| June | 55 | 136 |
| July | 7 | 271 |
| August | 24 | 198 |
| September | 158 | 60 |
| October | 513 | 1 |
| November | 843 | 0 |
| December | 1,151 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,506 | 690 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00255590. 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 Mitchell's climate compare?
Mitchell is warmer than 43 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 49.0°F is warmer than 36%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Mitchell's climate
What is the coldest month in Mitchell?
December, with a normal high of 40°F and a normal low of 16°F. The warmest is July (88°F by day, 59°F at night).
Does it snow in Mitchell?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Mitchell's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Scottsbluff (1 mi E) (7 miles away), records 40 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Mitchell in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Mitchell in zone 5a in ZIP code 69357, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Mitchell?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 7; in one year in ten it comes after May 21. Waiting until May 21 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Nebraska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Scottsbluff, NE7 miles from this station, 49.9°F a year
- Minatare, NE11 miles from this station, 49.2°F a year
- Plainsview Ranch, NE24 miles from this station, 48.2°F a year
- Torrington, WY25 miles from this station, 49.1°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made