Morrill is drier than 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 15°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 86% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Morrill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Morrill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Morrill’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Morrill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by September 29. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mitchell 5e, NE, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Torrington Muni Airport, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Morrill’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 14 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 Morrill
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 Torrington Muni Airport.
Living with Morrill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 Sep 29.
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 Morrill from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Morrill and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Morrill yet.
Climates most like Morrill’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrill, NE | 15° | 90° | 14" | 43" |
| Hyde Park, UT | 14° | 89° | 16" | 44" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
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 Morrill averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+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 Morrill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Morrill’s place among Nebraska’s.
Morrill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Morrill’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 | 22° – 36° |
| February | 44° | 16° | 0.4" | 7.5" | 6 | 7 | 18° – 38° |
| March | 54° | 24° | 0.7" | 6.8" | 7 | 4 | 30° – 48° |
| April | 62° | 31° | 1.6" | 5.2" | 9 | 2 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 42° | 2.6" | 0.9" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 83° | 51° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| July | 90° | 58° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 88° | 55° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 45° | 1.3" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 64° | 32° | 1.2" | 3.5" | 7 | 1 | 40° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 22° | 0.4" | 5.2" | 5 | 4 | 26° – 43° |
| December | 41° | 14° | 0.3" | 7.8" | 5 | 9 | 19° – 33° |
| Year | 64° | 34° | 13.9" | 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 18° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Morrill’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 Morrill’s center.
- Snow: Scottsbluff Heilig Airport.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Torrington Muni Airport, 14 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Mitchell 5e, NE, 12 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 Morrill’s climate
What is the weather like in Morrill?
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 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Morrill in winter?
December nights average 14°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Morrill 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 Morrill?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 58°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Torrington Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Morrill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 139 frost-free days, at Torrington Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Morrill in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Morrill?
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 Morrill 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 Morrill.
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.