Hay Springs is drier than 90% of U.S. towns: 18 inches of precipitation a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 14° on average. In January, nights here are colder than in 86% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Hay Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hay Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hay Springs’ place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Hay Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hay Springs, NE, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hay Springs’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chadron 3sw, NE, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hay Springs
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Hay Springs, NE.
Living with Hay Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 30.
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 Hay Springs from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (25%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hay Springs and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hay Springs yet.
Climates most like Hay Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hay Springs, NE | 14° | 86° | 18" | 50" |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 17° | 86° | 18" | 55" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Laurel, MT | 15° | 88° | 14" | 48" |
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 Hay Springs averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Hay Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hay Springs’ place among Nebraska’s.
Hay Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hay Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chadron 3sw, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 14° | 0.4" | 5.8" | 4 | 15 | 19° – 36° |
| February | 40° | 16° | 0.5" | 8.6" | 6 | 11 | 15° – 37° |
| March | 50° | 25° | 1.0" | 7.9" | 6 | 7 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 2.1" | 5.6" | 9 | 3 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 3.0" | 1.4" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 79° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 58° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 85° | 57° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 34° | 1.4" | 4.7" | 6 | 2 | 38° – 54° |
| November | 48° | 23° | 0.6" | 6.3" | 4 | 6 | 26° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 15° | 0.5" | 10.0" | 5 | 14 | 16° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 18.4" | 50.3" | 79 | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Hay Springs’ 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 Hay Springs’ center.
- Snow: Chadron 3sw, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hay Springs, NE, 0.2 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 Hay Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Hay Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hay Springs in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Hay Springs get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Chadron 3sw, NE, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 59 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hay Springs?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 58°. About 25 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Hay Springs, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Hay Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 138 frost-free days, at Hay Springs, NE.
What growing zone is Hay Springs in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hay Springs?
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 Hay Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hay Springs.
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.