Dry weather: only 20 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Madrid, less than in 89% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 89°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 4 to October 7.
A year in Madrid at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Madrid’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Madrid’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Madrid feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Madrid, NE, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Madrid’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wallace 2w, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Madrid
88% 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 Madrid, NE.
Living with Madrid’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 4 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 7.
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 Madrid from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Madrid and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Madrid yet.
Climates most like Madrid’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid, NE | 15° | 89° | 20" | 22" |
| Fountain, CO | 18° | 89° | 16" | 33" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| White Rock, NM | 18° | 89° | 13" | 20" |
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 Madrid averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Madrid compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Madrid’s place among Nebraska’s.
Madrid weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Madrid’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wallace 2w, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 15° | 0.4" | 3.4" | 3 | 12 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 43° | 18° | 0.6" | 5.6" | 4 | 11 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 54° | 26° | 1.0" | 3.1" | 5 | 5 | 32° – 50° |
| April | 62° | 34° | 2.2" | 3.2" | 8 | 2 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 83° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| July | 89° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| August | 87° | 59° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| September | 79° | 49° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 36° | 1.6" | 1.5" | 6 | 1 | 42° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 24° | 0.5" | 2.4" | 3 | 4 | 29° – 45° |
| December | 41° | 17° | 0.4" | 2.7" | 3 | 9 | 20° – 34° |
| Year | 64° | 37° | 20.4" | 22.0" | 72 | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 39°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Madrid’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 Madrid’s center.
- Snow: Wallace 2w, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Madrid, NE, 0.8 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 Madrid’s climate
What is the weather like in Madrid?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Madrid in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Madrid get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Wallace 2w, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 44 days a year.
How hot does it get in Madrid?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 61°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Madrid, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Madrid?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 156 frost-free days, at Madrid, NE.
What growing zone is Madrid in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Madrid?
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 Madrid getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Madrid.
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.