Hill Township’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Hill Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hill Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hill Township’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Hill Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Niobrara, NE, 12 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hill 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Crofton, NE, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hill Township
85% 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 Niobrara, NE.
Living with Hill Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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, August and September. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hill Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hill Township and its neighbors
Herrick Township has the coldest January nights next door (11°, 1° colder) and Union Township the hottest July afternoons (87°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hill 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill Township, NE | 13° | 86° | 27" | 38" |
| Sturgis, SD | 14° | 85° | 22" | 48" |
| Carroll, IA | 10° | 84° | 34" | 35" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
| Milan, MI | 17° | 84° | 34" | 39" |
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 Hill Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Hill Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hill Township’s place among Nebraska’s.
Hill Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hill Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Crofton, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 13° | 0.6" | 6.0" | 6 | 19 | 13° – 36° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 0.8" | 7.6" | 6 | 14 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 47° | 26° | 1.5" | 5.9" | 7 | 8 | 27° – 52° |
| April | 59° | 36° | 3.0" | 5.2" | 10 | 3 | 39° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 63° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 83° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| October | 62° | 39° | 2.5" | 0.8" | 7 | 1 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 26° | 1.1" | 5.3" | 5 | 6 | 27° – 45° |
| December | 33° | 16° | 0.8" | 7.3" | 6 | 15 | 13° – 30° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 27.4" | 38.4" | 93 | 64 |
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 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Hill 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 Hill Township’s center.
- Snow: Crofton, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Niobrara, NE, 12 miles from the town’s center, 370 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 Hill Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Hill Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hill Township in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Hill Township get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Crofton, NE, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hill Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 63°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Niobrara, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Hill Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 170 frost-free days, at Niobrara, NE.
What growing zone is Hill 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 Hill 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 Hill Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hill 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.