Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainMcCook’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in McCook at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McCook’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McCook’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in McCook feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mc Cook, NE, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McCook’s center in zone 6a: 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mc Cook #2, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McCook
86% 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 Mc Cook, NE.
Living with McCook’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 2.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McCook from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (25%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McCook and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McCook yet.
Climates most like McCook’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCook, NE | 15° | 92° | 21" | 20" |
| Harrisville, UT | 19° | 92° | 20" | 23" |
| Garden City, KS | 18° | 93° | 19" | 16" |
| Brush, CO | 14° | 91° | 14" | 23" |
| Dalhart, TX | 21° | 92° | 16" | 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 McCook averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 McCook compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McCook’s place among Nebraska’s.
McCook weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McCook’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mc Cook #2, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 15° | 0.3" | 3.1" | 2 | 9 | 19° – 39° |
| February | 45° | 18° | 0.5" | 5.8" | 3 | 8 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 57° | 27° | 1.1" | 2.7" | 4 | 2 | 34° – 52° |
| April | 65° | 36° | 2.1" | 1.3" | 6 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 75° | 46° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 86° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 92° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 61° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| September | 82° | 51° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| October | 68° | 37° | 1.6" | 1.2" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 25° | 0.8" | 2.4" | 2 | 2 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 43° | 17° | 0.5" | 3.8" | 2 | 7 | 21° – 35° |
| Year | 66° | 38° | 21.1" | 20.4" | 58 | 29 |
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 39°. April is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where McCook’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 McCook’s center.
- Snow: Mc Cook #2, NE (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mc Cook, NE, 1.8 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 McCook’s climate
What is the weather like in McCook?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McCook in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does McCook get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Mc Cook #2, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 29 days a year.
How hot does it get in McCook?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 63°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Mc Cook, NE).
When is the first and last frost in McCook?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 159 frost-free days, at Mc Cook, NE.
What growing zone is McCook in?
Zone 6a 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 McCook?
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 McCook getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McCook.
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.