Blackbird Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Blackbird Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Blackbird Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Blackbird Township’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Blackbird Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Walthill 1e, NE, 6 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Blackbird Township’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 32 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Walthill 1e, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Blackbird Township
87% 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 Walthill 1e, NE.
Living with Blackbird Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 1 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Blackbird Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Blackbird Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Blackbird Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Blackbird Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbird Township, NE | 11° | 86° | 30" | 32" |
| Pleasant Hill, IA | 13° | 85° | 35" | 37" |
| Rock Island, IL | 14° | 85° | 37" | 36" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
| Livonia, MI | 18° | 84° | 33" | 31" |
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 Blackbird Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Blackbird Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Blackbird Township’s place among Nebraska’s.
Blackbird Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Blackbird Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Walthill 1e, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 11° | 0.7" | 6.1" | 4 | 18 | 13° – 35° |
| February | 35° | 15° | 0.8" | 8.3" | 4 | 15 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 27° | 1.6" | 5.1" | 5 | 6 | 30° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 37° | 3.1" | 2.0" | 8 | 1 | 41° – 55° |
| May | 73° | 49° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 82° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 64° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 81° |
| August | 83° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 39° | 2.3" | 0.8" | 5 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 26° | 1.3" | 2.9" | 4 | 4 | 27° – 47° |
| December | 34° | 16° | 1.0" | 6.9" | 4 | 13 | 12° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 29.6" | 32.2" | 73 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Blackbird Township’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 Blackbird Township’s center.
- Snow: Walthill 1e, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Walthill 1e, NE, 6 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Blackbird Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Blackbird Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Blackbird Township in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Blackbird Township get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter at Walthill 1e, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Blackbird Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Walthill 1e, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Blackbird Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 156 frost-free days, at Walthill 1e, NE.
What growing zone is Blackbird Township 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 Blackbird Township?
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 Blackbird Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Blackbird Township.
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.