Alfred and Magdalena Schmid Farmstead · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Winter nights in Dawson are colder than in 82% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 88°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in January. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 81% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 18 to October 17.
A year in Dawson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dawson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dawson’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Dawson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 180 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Falls City Brenner Fld, NE, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dawson’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 24 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Salem 5sw, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dawson
82% of the work is heating. 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 Falls City Brenner Fld, NE.
Living with Dawson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
180 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dawson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dawson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dawson yet.
Climates most like Dawson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson, NE | 16° | 88° | 33" | 24" |
| East Peoria, IL | 17° | 86° | 38" | 26" |
| Ottumwa, IA | 14° | 86° | 37" | 24" |
| Napoleon, OH | 19° | 85° | 36" | 25" |
| Kirksville, MO | 17° | 86° | 41" | 19" |
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 Dawson averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Dawson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dawson’s place among Nebraska’s.
Dawson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dawson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salem 5sw, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 16° | 0.7" | 5.8" | 5 | 13 | 19° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 20° | 1.1" | 8.6" | 5 | 10 | 21° – 41° |
| March | 54° | 31° | 2.0" | 1.8" | 8 | 3 | 34° – 57° |
| April | 65° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 52° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| October | 67° | 43° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 30° | 1.6" | 1.6" | 5 | 1 | 32° – 50° |
| December | 40° | 20° | 1.2" | 5.8" | 5 | 7 | 16° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 42° | 33.3" | 24.2" | 86 | 34 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Dawson’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 Dawson’s center.
- Snow: Salem 5sw, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Falls City Brenner Fld, NE, 13 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 Dawson’s climate
What is the weather like in Dawson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dawson in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 131 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Dawson get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter at Salem 5sw, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 34 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dawson?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Falls City Brenner Fld, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Dawson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 180 frost-free days, at Falls City Brenner Fld, NE.
What growing zone is Dawson in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dawson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Dawson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dawson.
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.