Z.C.B.J. Rad Tabor No. 74 · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Precipitation in Dorchester trails that of 86% of U.S. towns: 30 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 72°. In January, nights here are colder than in 84% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 66–84°, runs through May, June, September and October.
A year in Dorchester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dorchester’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dorchester’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Dorchester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Friend 3e, NE, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dorchester’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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Crete 4ese, NE, is heaviest from January through February, about 6 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dorchester
88% 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 Friend 3e, NE.
Living with Dorchester’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dorchester from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (25%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dorchester and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dorchester yet.
Climates most like Dorchester’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester, NE | 15° | 87° | 30" | 25" |
| Adel, IA | 12° | 85° | 35" | 25" |
| Yankton, SD | 10° | 86° | 28" | 38" |
| Chillicothe, IL | 16° | 86° | 37" | 20" |
| Napoleon, OH | 19° | 85° | 36" | 25" |
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 Dorchester averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Dorchester compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dorchester’s place among Nebraska’s.
Dorchester weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dorchester’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Crete 4ese, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 15° | 0.7" | 6.3" | 5 | 12 | 18° – 39° |
| February | 40° | 19° | 0.9" | 6.6" | 5 | 9 | 17° – 38° |
| March | 52° | 29° | 1.6" | 3.2" | 6 | 3 | 32° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 2.6" | 1.3" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 50° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 54° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 2.3" | 1.0" | 7 | 1 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 28° | 1.3" | 2.0" | 5 | 2 | 31° – 49° |
| December | 39° | 19° | 1.1" | 4.9" | 5 | 8 | 16° – 34° |
| Year | 63° | 40° | 29.9" | 25.3" | 92 | 36 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Dorchester’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 Dorchester’s center.
- Snow: Crete 4ese, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Friend 3e, NE, 6 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 Dorchester’s climate
What is the weather like in Dorchester?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dorchester in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Dorchester get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Crete 4ese, NE, heaviest from January through February, about 6 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 36 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dorchester?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 26 days a year reach 90° (Friend 3e, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Dorchester?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 169 frost-free days, at Friend 3e, NE.
What growing zone is Dorchester 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 Dorchester?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Dorchester getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dorchester.
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.