Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainJanuary in Berwyn bites harder than in 89% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 74°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 71–82°, runs through May, June and September.
A year in Berwyn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Berwyn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Berwyn’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Berwyn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Broken Bow 2 W, NE, 10 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Berwyn’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 Broken Bow 2 W, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Berwyn
91% 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 Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
Living with Berwyn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 10 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Berwyn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Berwyn and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Berwyn yet.
Climates most like Berwyn’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berwyn, NE | 13° | 87° | 24" | 30" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Sergeant Bluff, IA | 11° | 86° | 30" | 36" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
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 Berwyn averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Berwyn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Berwyn’s place among Nebraska’s.
Berwyn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Berwyn’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Broken Bow 2 W, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 4 | 16° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 16° | 0.6" | 7.0" | 5 | 17° – 37° |
| March | 52° | 26° | 1.3" | 3.8" | 7 | 31° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 35° | 2.6" | 2.8" | 10 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 45° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 82° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 75° |
| July | 87° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 59° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 49° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 36° | 1.9" | 2.0" | 7 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 24° | 0.9" | 3.7" | 5 | 26° – 44° |
| December | 39° | 15° | 0.6" | 5.7" | 4 | 18° – 32° |
| Year | 62° | 36° | 24.3" | 29.5" | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Berwyn’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 Berwyn’s center.
- Snow: Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Broken Bow 2 W, NE, 10 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 Berwyn’s climate
What is the weather like in Berwyn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Berwyn in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Berwyn get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Broken Bow 2 W, NE, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Berwyn?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 61°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Broken Bow 2 W, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Berwyn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 142 frost-free days, at Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
What growing zone is Berwyn 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 Berwyn?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Berwyn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Berwyn.
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.