Winter nights in East Custer Township are colder than in 88% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 86°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 73°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit May, June and September, with highs of 71–81°.
A year in East Custer Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about East Custer Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with East Custer Township’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in East Custer Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Broken Bow 2 W, NE, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts East Custer Township’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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Broken Bow 2 W, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in East Custer Township
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 Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
Living with East Custer Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 10 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 1.
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 East Custer Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →East Custer Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of East Custer Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like East Custer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Custer Township, NE | 14° | 86° | 24" | 30" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Sergeant Bluff, IA | 11° | 86° | 30" | 36" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Raton, NM | 15° | 85° | 16" | 25" |
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 East Custer Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 East Custer Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with East Custer Township’s place among Nebraska’s.
East Custer Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at East Custer Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Broken Bow 2 W, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 14° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 4 | 16° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 17° | 0.6" | 7.0" | 5 | 17° – 37° |
| March | 52° | 26° | 1.2" | 3.8" | 7 | 31° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 35° | 2.6" | 2.8" | 10 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 45° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 52° – 64° |
| June | 81° | 56° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 75° |
| July | 86° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 84° | 60° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 50° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 36° | 1.9" | 2.0" | 7 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 24° | 0.8" | 3.7" | 5 | 26° – 44° |
| December | 39° | 16° | 0.5" | 5.7" | 4 | 19° – 33° |
| Year | 62° | 37° | 24.1" | 29.5" | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where East Custer 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 East Custer Township’s center.
- Snow: Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Broken Bow 2 W, NE, 10 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 East Custer Township’s climate
What is the weather like in East Custer Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in East Custer Township in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does East Custer Township get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Broken Bow 2 W, NE, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in East Custer Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 61°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Broken Bow 2 W, NE).
When is the first and last frost in East Custer Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 142 frost-free days, at Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
What growing zone is East Custer Township 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 East Custer Township?
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 East Custer Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in East Custer 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.