Winter nights in Francis Township are colder than in 91% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 86°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. Tender plants can go out after about May 4; in half of years the first frost comes by October 2.
A year in Francis Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Francis Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Francis Township’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Francis Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Swan Lake, NE, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Francis Township’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Atkinson 3sw, NE, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Francis 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 Swan Lake, NE.
Living with Francis Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Francis Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (23%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Francis Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Francis Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Francis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Township, NE | 12° | 86° | 26" | 33" |
| Le Mars, IA | 9° | 85° | 30" | 31" |
| Sturgis, SD | 14° | 85° | 22" | 48" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
| Air Force Academy, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
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 Francis Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Francis Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Francis Township’s place among Nebraska’s.
Francis Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Francis Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Atkinson 3sw, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 12° | 0.5" | 5.5" | 4 | 16 | 15° – 37° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.7" | 6.7" | 4 | 14 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 1.3" | 5.1" | 5 | 8 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 34° | 2.9" | 4.1" | 8 | 3 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 80° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 86° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 80° |
| August | 84° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 49° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 36° | 2.1" | 1.5" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 48° | 24° | 0.8" | 4.0" | 4 | 5 | 26° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 15° | 0.6" | 6.2" | 4 | 14 | 15° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 36° | 26.0" | 33.3" | 81 | 60 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 50°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Francis 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 Francis Township’s center.
- Snow: Atkinson 3sw, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Swan Lake, NE, 9 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 Francis Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Francis Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Francis Township in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 166 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 15°.
How much snow does Francis Township get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Atkinson 3sw, NE, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 60 days a year.
How hot does it get in Francis Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 61°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Swan Lake, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Francis Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 150 frost-free days, at Swan Lake, NE.
What growing zone is Francis Township in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Francis Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Francis Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Francis 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.