Winter nights in King Lake are colder than in 87% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 87°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 84% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. Plan time outside from May to June and August to October, when highs sit at 65–84°.
A year in King Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about King Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with King Lake’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in King Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valley Nws, NE, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts King Lake’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bennington 3wsw, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in King Lake
83% 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 Valley Nws, NE.
Living with King Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 15 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in King Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →King Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around King Lake yet.
Climates most like King Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Lake, NE | 14° | 87° | 32" | 34" |
| Knoxville, IA | 14° | 85° | 37" | 30" |
| Rock Island, IL | 14° | 85° | 37" | 36" |
| Sylvania, OH | 19° | 85° | 34" | 37" |
| Milan, MI | 17° | 84° | 34" | 39" |
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 King Lake averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 King Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with King Lake’s place among Nebraska’s.
King Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at King Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bennington 3wsw, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 14° | 0.8" | 6.9" | 6 | 15 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 18° | 1.0" | 9.8" | 7 | 12 | 17° – 38° |
| March | 51° | 29° | 1.8" | 5.7" | 8 | 4 | 32° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.2" | 2.3" | 10 | 1 | 43° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 4.8" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 83° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 2.4" | 1.5" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 49° | 29° | 1.4" | 1.8" | 5 | 1 | 30° – 50° |
| December | 36° | 19° | 1.2" | 6.2" | 7 | 9 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 32.2" | 34.4" | 102 | 42 |
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 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where King Lake’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 King Lake’s center.
- Snow: Bennington 3wsw, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valley Nws, NE, 3 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 King Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in King Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in King Lake in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 136 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does King Lake get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Bennington 3wsw, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 42 days a year.
How hot does it get in King Lake?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 25 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Valley Nws, NE).
When is the first and last frost in King Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 187 frost-free days, at Valley Nws, NE.
What growing zone is King Lake in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit King Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is King Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in King Lake.
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.