Woman's Club of Lincoln · Photo: T71024 · CC BY-SA 3.0Lincoln reaches 100° on about 23 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 38°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. September has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.1° rise. The heating season runs December to January: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Lincoln at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lincoln’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lincoln’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lincoln feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 23 days a year reach 100°
And 90 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sacramento 5 Ese, CA, 23 miles from the city’s center point, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lincoln’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 23 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lincoln
58% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sacramento 5 Ese, CA.
Living with Lincoln’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9a. Frost comes about 8 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 23 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 21 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lincoln from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lincoln and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lincoln in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Lincoln averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 67% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Lincoln compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lincoln’s place among California’s.
Lincoln weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lincoln’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 38° | 4.5" | 44° – 52° |
| February | 62° | 41° | 4.4" | 48° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 44° | 3.4" | 49° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 47° | 1.8" | 54° – 63° |
| May | 82° | 53° | 1.0" | 59° – 74° |
| June | 91° | 58° | 0.3" | 69° – 79° |
| July | 96° | 61° | 0.0" | 74° – 83° |
| August | 95° | 61° | 0.0" | 74° – 82° |
| September | 90° | 58° | 0.1" | 70° – 77° |
| October | 79° | 50° | 1.0" | 61° – 70° |
| November | 65° | 43° | 2.5" | 47° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 4.0" | 43° – 52° |
| Year | 76° | 49° | 23.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 74°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lincoln’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Lincoln’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sacramento 5 Ese, CA, 23 miles from the city’s center point, 120 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Lincoln’s climate
What is the weather like in Lincoln?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 38°. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lincoln in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How hot does it get in Lincoln?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 61°. About 90 days a year reach 90° and 23 reach 100° (Sacramento 5 Ese, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lincoln?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 81% of winters at Sacramento 5 Ese, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Lincoln in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lincoln?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lincoln getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lincoln.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.