Scout's Rest Ranch Headquarters · Photo: Smallbones · Public domainNorth Platte is drier than 89% of U.S. towns: 21 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 89°. Seasons differ by 75°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its January nights bite harder than in 88% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 11 to October 1.
A year in North Platte at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Platte’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Platte’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in North Platte 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 11 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at North Platte Rgnl Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Platte’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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at N Platte Exp Farm, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 80 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Platte
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 North Platte Rgnl Airport.
Living with North Platte’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 5.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North Platte from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Platte and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around North Platte yet.
Climates most like North Platte’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Platte, NE | 14° | 89° | 21" | 28" |
| Belle Fourche, SD | 13° | 88° | 19" | 42" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| Stratmoor, CO | 18° | 88° | 16" | 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 North Platte averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 North Platte compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Platte’s place among Nebraska’s.
North Platte weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Platte’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from N Platte Exp Farm, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 14° | 0.4" | 5.0" | 4 | 9 | 18° – 38° |
| February | 43° | 16° | 0.6" | 5.9" | 5 | 9 | 19° – 39° |
| March | 54° | 25° | 1.0" | 4.0" | 6 | 2 | 31° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 34° | 2.3" | 4.6" | 9 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 83° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| July | 89° | 61° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 87° | 59° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| September | 79° | 49° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 35° | 1.7" | 1.4" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| November | 51° | 23° | 0.6" | 3.4" | 4 | 1 | 27° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 15° | 0.4" | 3.8" | 3 | 8 | 19° – 33° |
| Year | 64° | 36° | 21.3" | 28.3" | 80 | 32 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where North Platte’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 North Platte’s center.
- Snow: N Platte Exp Farm, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: North Platte Rgnl Airport, 4 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 North Platte’s climate
What is the weather like in North Platte?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Platte in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does North Platte get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at N Platte Exp Farm, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 32 days a year.
How hot does it get in North Platte?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 61°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (North Platte Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in North Platte?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 142 frost-free days, at North Platte Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is North Platte 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 North Platte?
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 North Platte getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Platte.
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.