Swan Lake, Nebraska climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Swan Lake's normal year runs from 10°F January nights to 86°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 8.6°C, January lows of −12°C, July highs of 30°C.
- NOAA stationSwan Lake
- Station IDUSC00258360
- Location42.18°N 99.09°W
- Elevation2,330 ft (710 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Swan Lake is 59°F and the normal low 32°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Swan Lake.
- Jan 34° 10°
- Feb 38° 14°
- Mar 48° 23°
- Apr 58° 33°
- May 69° 44°
- Jun 80° 54°
- Jul 86° 60°
- Aug 84° 58°
- Sep 76° 48°
- Oct 63° 35°
- Nov 48° 23°
- Dec 37° 14°
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 Swan Lake each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 86°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 10°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34°F | 10°F | 22.2°F | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 20 min |
| February | 38°F | 14°F | 25.8°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 48°F | 23°F | 35.7°F | – | <1 | 26 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 58°F | 33°F | 45.9°F | – | <1 | 12 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 69°F | 44°F | 56.9°F | – | 1 | 3 | 14 h 30 min |
| June | 80°F | 54°F | 66.9°F | – | 3 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| July | 86°F | 60°F | 72.7°F | – | 13 | <1 | 15 h |
| August | 84°F | 58°F | 71.0°F | – | 8 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 76°F | 48°F | 62.4°F | – | 3 | 2 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 63°F | 35°F | 48.6°F | – | <1 | 12 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 48°F | 23°F | 35.6°F | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 50 min |
| December | 37°F | 14°F | 25.3°F | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 60°F | 35°F | 47.4°F | – | 28 | 166 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1°C | −12°C | −5.4°C |
| February | 3°C | −10°C | −3.4°C |
| March | 9°C | −5°C | 2.1°C |
| April | 15°C | 1°C | 7.7°C |
| May | 21°C | 7°C | 13.8°C |
| June | 27°C | 12°C | 19.4°C |
| July | 30°C | 16°C | 22.6°C |
| August | 29°C | 14°C | 21.7°C |
| September | 25°C | 9°C | 16.9°C |
| October | 17°C | 2°C | 9.2°C |
| November | 9°C | −5°C | 2.0°C |
| December | 3°C | −10°C | −3.7°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Atkinson (23 miles away), gets 33 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00258360; 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 Swan Lake?
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 USC00258360.
When is the last frost at Swan Lake?
In Swan Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 4 in half of years and after May 19 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 2 in half of years and before September 20 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 41 year in 10 after May 19; 9 in 10 after April 21
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 21 year in 10 before September 20; 9 in 10 before October 14
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 150 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 168 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 25 in half of springs and before October 11 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Swan Lake in zone 5a in ZIP code 68711, 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 USC00258360; 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 Swan Lake?
In a normal year in Swan Lake, 28 days a year reach 90°F (2 of them 100°F or more) and 166 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 28a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 166a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 46high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00258360.
How sunny is it at Swan Lake?
Over a year 78% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Swan Lake, 4.3 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (86%) and March the cloudiest (71%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 76% | 2.1 |
| February | 75% | 3.0 |
| March | 71% | 4.0 |
| April | 72% | 5.1 |
| May | 74% | 6.0 |
| June | 81% | 6.8 |
| July | 86% | 6.9 |
| August | 84% | 5.9 |
| September | 82% | 4.7 |
| October | 77% | 3.3 |
| November | 76% | 2.3 |
| December | 74% | 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Swan Lake record?
A normal year at Swan Lake brings 7,037 heating degree days, 31% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 662 cooling degree days, 27% 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 2,675 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,328 | 0 |
| February | 1,098 | 0 |
| March | 909 | 0 |
| April | 574 | 1 |
| May | 272 | 19 |
| June | 60 | 117 |
| July | 10 | 248 |
| August | 20 | 205 |
| September | 148 | 68 |
| October | 511 | 4 |
| November | 881 | 0 |
| December | 1,229 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,037 | 662 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00258360. 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 Swan Lake's climate compare?
Swan Lake is warmer than 10 of the 137 places with their own NOAA record in Nebraska. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 47.4°F is warmer than 29%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Swan Lake's climate
What is the coldest month at Swan Lake?
January, with a normal high of 34°F and a normal low of 10°F. The warmest is July (86°F by day, 60°F at night).
Does it snow at Swan Lake?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Atkinson (23 miles away), records 33 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Swan Lake in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Swan Lake in zone 5a in ZIP code 68711, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Swan Lake?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 4; in one year in ten it comes after May 19. Waiting until May 19 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Nebraska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Chambers, NE17 miles from this station, 48.3°F a year
- Atkinson, NE23 miles from this station, 47.3°F a year
- Burwell, NE28 miles from this station, 48.6°F a year
- O'Neill, NE29 miles from this station, 47.7°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made