Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Lamar, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 16°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 83% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit May and September, with highs of 72–80°.
A year in Lamar at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lamar’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lamar’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Lamar feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Holyoke, CO, 19 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lamar’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Holyoke, CO, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lamar
90% 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 Holyoke, CO.
Living with Lamar’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 11 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lamar from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lamar and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lamar yet.
Climates most like Lamar’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar, NE | 16° | 90° | 18" | 30" |
| Fountain, CO | 18° | 89° | 16" | 33" |
| Logan, UT | 15° | 90° | 18" | 44" |
| Torrington, WY | 14° | 90° | 13" | 31" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
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 Lamar averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Lamar compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lamar’s place among Nebraska’s.
Lamar weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lamar’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Holyoke, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 16° | 0.3" | 4.5" | 3 | 7 | 19° – 38° |
| February | 45° | 18° | 0.4" | 6.1" | 5 | 8 | 21° – 39° |
| March | 55° | 27° | 0.9" | 4.4" | 6 | 3 | 33° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 34° | 1.9" | 3.7" | 9 | 2 | 43° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 84° | 55° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| July | 90° | 61° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| August | 88° | 59° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 80° | 49° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 36° | 1.3" | 1.9" | 6 | 1 | 42° – 56° |
| November | 53° | 25° | 0.5" | 3.9" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 42° | 16° | 0.4" | 5.5" | 4 | 8 | 21° – 35° |
| Year | 65° | 37° | 18.2" | 30.4" | 78 | 31 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 38°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Lamar’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 Lamar’s center.
- Snow: Holyoke, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Holyoke, CO, 19 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher; 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 Lamar’s climate
What is the weather like in Lamar?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lamar in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Lamar get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Holyoke, CO, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 31 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lamar?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 61°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Holyoke, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Lamar?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 144 frost-free days, at Holyoke, CO.
What growing zone is Lamar in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lamar?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lamar getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lamar.
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.