Photo: Flickr user Afiler · CC BY-SA 2.0Less rain and snow falls on McGrew than on 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 90°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.5° higher. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in McGrew at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McGrew’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McGrew’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in McGrew feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Scottsbluff Heilig Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts McGrew’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Scottsbluff Heilig Airport, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McGrew
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 Scottsbluff Heilig Airport.
Living with McGrew’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 4.
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 McGrew from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McGrew and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McGrew yet.
Climates most like McGrew’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McGrew, NE | 15° | 90° | 16" | 43" |
| Hyrum, UT | 15° | 90° | 17" | 44" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
| Derby, CO | 18° | 90° | 14" | 49" |
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 McGrew averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 McGrew compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McGrew’s place among Nebraska’s.
McGrew weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McGrew’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Scottsbluff Heilig Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 15° | 0.3" | 5.3" | 5 | 10 | 21° – 36° |
| February | 44° | 17° | 0.5" | 7.5" | 6 | 7 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 54° | 25° | 0.9" | 6.8" | 7 | 4 | 31° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 32° | 1.8" | 5.2" | 9 | 2 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 43° | 2.9" | 0.9" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 83° | 53° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| July | 90° | 59° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 56° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 33° | 1.2" | 3.5" | 7 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| November | 51° | 23° | 0.5" | 5.2" | 5 | 4 | 27° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 15° | 0.4" | 7.8" | 5 | 9 | 19° – 34° |
| Year | 64° | 35° | 16.3" | 42.5" | 89 | 36 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where McGrew’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 McGrew’s center.
- Snow: Scottsbluff Heilig Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Scottsbluff Heilig Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 McGrew’s climate
What is the weather like in McGrew?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McGrew in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does McGrew get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Scottsbluff Heilig Airport, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 36 days a year.
How hot does it get in McGrew?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 59°. About 49 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Scottsbluff Heilig Airport).
When is the first and last frost in McGrew?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 149 frost-free days, at Scottsbluff Heilig Airport.
What growing zone is McGrew in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit McGrew?
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 McGrew getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McGrew.
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.