Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainPrecipitation in Elm Creek trails that of 87% of U.S. towns: 25 inches a year
January nights here settle around 14°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 86% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.7° above 1901–2000. For walks and days out, May, June and September bring highs of 72–83°.
A year in Elm Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elm Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elm Creek’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Elm Creek 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 Canaday Steam Plt, NE, 17 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elm Creek’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 Canaday Steam Plt, NE, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elm Creek
87% 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 Canaday Steam Plt, NE.
Living with Elm Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elm Creek from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elm Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elm Creek yet.
Climates most like Elm Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elm Creek, NE | 14° | 87° | 25" | 20" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Council Bluffs, IA | 14° | 87° | 33" | 27" |
| Las Vegas, NM | 18° | 86° | 16" | 22" |
| Stratmoor, CO | 18° | 88° | 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 Elm Creek averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Elm Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elm Creek’s place among Nebraska’s.
Elm Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elm Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Canaday Steam Plt, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 14° | 0.5" | 5.9" | 3 | 17° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 17° | 0.6" | 4.9" | 3 | 18° – 38° |
| March | 53° | 27° | 1.3" | 2.3" | 4 | 32° – 52° |
| April | 62° | 36° | 2.5" | 1.0" | 7 | 42° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 83° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 79° | 51° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 58° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 38° | 1.9" | 0.6" | 5 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 51° | 25° | 1.0" | 1.9" | 3 | 28° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 17° | 0.6" | 3.3" | 2 | 19° – 33° |
| Year | 63° | 38° | 24.5" | 20.0" | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Elm Creek’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 Elm Creek’s center.
- Snow: Canaday Steam Plt, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Canaday Steam Plt, NE, 17 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 Elm Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Elm Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, 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 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elm Creek in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Elm Creek get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Canaday Steam Plt, NE, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Elm Creek?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 63°. About 29 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Canaday Steam Plt, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Elm Creek?
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 Canaday Steam Plt, NE.
What growing zone is Elm Creek in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elm Creek?
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 Elm Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elm Creek.
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.