Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Broadwater, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 86% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. The outdoor season, with highs of 71–83°, runs through May, June and September.
A year in Broadwater at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Broadwater’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Broadwater’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Broadwater feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Broadwater 3wnw, NE, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Broadwater’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Broadwater 3wnw, NE, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 50 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Broadwater
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 Broadwater 3wnw, NE.
Living with Broadwater’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 13 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 28.
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 Broadwater from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Broadwater and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Broadwater yet.
Climates most like Broadwater’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadwater, NE | 14° | 90° | 18" | 20" |
| Colby, KS | 17° | 91° | 20" | 27" |
| Ephraim, UT | 14° | 89° | 12" | 20" |
| White Rock, NM | 18° | 89° | 13" | 20" |
| Fountain, CO | 18° | 89° | 16" | 33" |
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 Broadwater averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A bigger 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 Broadwater compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Broadwater’s place among Nebraska’s.
Broadwater weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Broadwater’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Broadwater 3wnw, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 14° | 0.3" | 2.7" | 1 | 5 | 21° – 36° |
| February | 43° | 17° | 0.5" | 3.8" | 2 | 4 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 54° | 25° | 0.9" | 3.7" | 3 | 2 | 31° – 48° |
| April | 62° | 33° | 2.0" | 1.5" | 6 | 1 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 44° | 2.9" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 83° | 54° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| July | 90° | 60° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 57° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 34° | 1.2" | 0.9" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| November | 51° | 23° | 0.5" | 2.4" | 2 | 1 | 27° – 44° |
| December | 40° | 14° | 0.4" | 4.2" | 1 | 5 | 18° – 34° |
| Year | 64° | 35° | 17.5" | 19.7" | 50 | 17 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Broadwater’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 Broadwater’s center.
- Snow: Broadwater 3wnw, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Broadwater 3wnw, NE, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Broadwater’s climate
What is the weather like in Broadwater?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Broadwater in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Broadwater get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Broadwater 3wnw, NE, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 17 days a year.
How hot does it get in Broadwater?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 60°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Broadwater 3wnw, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Broadwater?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 136 frost-free days, at Broadwater 3wnw, NE.
What growing zone is Broadwater in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Broadwater?
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 Broadwater getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Broadwater.
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.