Brenizer Library · Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainMerna has colder winter nights than 89% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 86°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 73°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Merna at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Merna’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Merna’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Merna feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Broken Bow 2 W, NE, 7 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Merna’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 Broken Bow 2 W, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Merna
91% 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 Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
Living with Merna’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 10 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 1.
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 Merna from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Merna and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Merna yet.
Climates most like Merna’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merna, NE | 13° | 86° | 24" | 30" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Sergeant Bluff, IA | 11° | 86° | 30" | 36" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
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 Merna averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Merna compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Merna’s place among Nebraska’s.
Merna weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Merna’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Broken Bow 2 W, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 4 | 16° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 16° | 0.6" | 7.0" | 5 | 17° – 37° |
| March | 51° | 25° | 1.3" | 3.8" | 7 | 30° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 34° | 2.6" | 2.8" | 10 | 40° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 11 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 81° | 55° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 86° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 49° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 36° | 2.0" | 2.0" | 7 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 24° | 0.8" | 3.7" | 5 | 26° – 44° |
| December | 39° | 15° | 0.6" | 5.7" | 4 | 18° – 33° |
| Year | 62° | 36° | 23.9" | 29.5" | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Merna’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 Merna’s center.
- Snow: Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Broken Bow 2 W, NE, 7 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower; 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 Merna’s climate
What is the weather like in Merna?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Merna in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Merna get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Broken Bow 2 W, NE, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Merna?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 61°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Broken Bow 2 W, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Merna?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 142 frost-free days, at Broken Bow 2 W, NE.
What growing zone is Merna in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Merna?
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 Merna getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Merna.
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.