Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainDry weather: only 23 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Elwood, less than in 88% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. Its January nights bite harder than in 83% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.6° higher. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Elwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elwood’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Elwood 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, 11 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elwood’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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elwood 8 S, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elwood
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 Elwood’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 Elwood from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elwood and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elwood yet.
Climates most like Elwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elwood, NE | 15° | 87° | 23" | 25" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
| Las Vegas, NM | 18° | 86° | 16" | 22" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
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 Elwood averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Elwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elwood’s place among Nebraska’s.
Elwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elwood 8 S, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 15° | 0.4" | 4.6" | 3 | 9 | 18° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 18° | 0.7" | 6.4" | 4 | 8 | 18° – 39° |
| March | 53° | 27° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 5 | 3 | 32° – 52° |
| April | 62° | 36° | 2.4" | 2.1" | 8 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| June | 83° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 61° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 51° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 38° | 1.8" | 0.9" | 6 | 1 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 51° | 26° | 0.9" | 3.1" | 4 | 2 | 29° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 17° | 0.6" | 4.7" | 3 | 7 | 20° – 34° |
| Year | 63° | 38° | 23.2" | 25.3" | 74 | 31 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 39°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Elwood’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 Elwood’s center.
- Snow: Elwood 8 S, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Canaday Steam Plt, NE, 11 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower; 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 Elwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Elwood?
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 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elwood in winter?
January nights average 15°. 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 18°.
How much snow does Elwood get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Elwood 8 S, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 31 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elwood?
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 Elwood?
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 Elwood 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 Elwood?
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 Elwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elwood.
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.