Less rain and snow falls on Kenesaw than on 87% of U.S. towns: 27 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 87°. In January, nights here are colder than in 85% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.9°, most of all in March. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 72–83°, belongs to May, June and September.
A year in Kenesaw at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kenesaw’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kenesaw’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Kenesaw feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hastings Muni Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kenesaw’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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hastings 4n, NE, falls mostly in February. 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 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kenesaw
84% of the work is heating. 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 Hastings Muni Airport.
Living with Kenesaw’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 16.
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 Kenesaw from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kenesaw and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kenesaw yet.
Climates most like Kenesaw’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenesaw, NE | 15° | 87° | 27" | 29" |
| Council Bluffs, IA | 14° | 87° | 33" | 27" |
| Yankton, SD | 10° | 86° | 28" | 38" |
| Westland, MI | 18° | 84° | 34" | 31" |
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
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 Kenesaw averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
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 Kenesaw compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kenesaw’s place among Nebraska’s.
Kenesaw weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kenesaw’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hastings 4n, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 15° | 0.5" | 6.5" | 5 | 12 | 17° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 18° | 0.7" | 7.5" | 6 | 10 | 19° – 38° |
| March | 53° | 28° | 1.4" | 3.8" | 7 | 3 | 32° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 37° | 2.7" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 83° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| August | 85° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 52° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 39° | 2.1" | 1.2" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| November | 51° | 27° | 1.2" | 2.3" | 5 | 3 | 29° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 18° | 0.8" | 5.6" | 5 | 9 | 18° – 33° |
| Year | 63° | 39° | 26.8" | 28.6" | 94 | 37 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 53°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Kenesaw’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 Kenesaw’s center.
- Snow: Hastings 4n, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hastings Muni Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Kenesaw’s climate
What is the weather like in Kenesaw?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kenesaw in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Kenesaw get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Hastings 4n, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 37 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kenesaw?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 64°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Hastings Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Kenesaw?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 176 frost-free days, at Hastings Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Kenesaw 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 Kenesaw?
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 Kenesaw 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 Kenesaw.
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.