Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainWinter nights in Battle Creek are colder than in 91% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 85°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 74°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 87% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 72–83°, belongs to May, June, August and September.
A year in Battle Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Battle Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Battle Creek’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Battle Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Battle Creek’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 98 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Battle Creek
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport.
Living with Battle Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Battle Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Battle Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Battle Creek yet.
Climates most like Battle Creek’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Creek, NE | 12° | 85° | 27" | 30" |
| Adel, IA | 12° | 85° | 35" | 25" |
| Sturgis, SD | 14° | 85° | 22" | 48" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
| Livonia, MI | 18° | 84° | 33" | 31" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Battle Creek averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Battle Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Battle Creek’s place among Nebraska’s.
Battle Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Battle Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 12° | 0.6" | 6.9" | 6 | 15 | 15° – 36° |
| February | 37° | 16° | 0.8" | 6.1" | 6 | 12 | 14° – 36° |
| March | 49° | 26° | 1.5" | 4.5" | 8 | 5 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 36° | 2.9" | 2.3" | 10 | 1 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 51° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 25° | 1.2" | 3.2" | 6 | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 35° | 16° | 0.8" | 6.1" | 6 | 12 | 14° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 27.3" | 29.9" | 98 | 48 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Battle Creek’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 Battle Creek’s center.
- Snow: Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Battle Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Battle Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Battle Creek in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 150 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Battle Creek get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.
How hot does it get in Battle Creek?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Battle Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 157 frost-free days, at Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport.
What growing zone is Battle Creek in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Battle Creek?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Battle Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Battle Creek.
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.