Photo: Stewmag · CC BY-SA 4.0Brownlee has colder winter nights than 89% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 88°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Brownlee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brownlee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brownlee’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Brownlee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valentine Nwr, NE, 20 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brownlee’s center in zone 5b: 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 23 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Brownlee
86% 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 Valentine Nwr, NE.
Living with Brownlee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 11.
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 Brownlee from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brownlee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Brownlee yet.
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 Brownlee averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Brownlee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brownlee’s place among Nebraska’s.
Brownlee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brownlee’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.4" | 17° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 16° | 0.7" | 15° – 37° |
| March | 51° | 24° | 1.2" | 28° – 50° |
| April | 60° | 33° | 2.6" | 40° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 44° | 3.8" | 51° – 63° |
| June | 81° | 55° | 4.0" | 63° – 73° |
| July | 88° | 60° | 3.4" | 66° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 58° | 2.4" | 66° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 48° | 2.0" | 57° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 35° | 1.7" | 41° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 23° | 0.6" | 27° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 15° | 0.5" | 17° – 33° |
| Year | 62° | 35° | 23.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Brownlee’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 Brownlee’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valentine Nwr, NE, 20 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 Brownlee’s climate
What is the weather like in Brownlee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 13°. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brownlee in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How hot does it get in Brownlee?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 60°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Valentine Nwr, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Brownlee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 163 frost-free days, at Valentine Nwr, NE.
What growing zone is Brownlee in?
Zone 5b 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 Brownlee?
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 Brownlee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brownlee.
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.