January in Offutt AFB bites harder than in 87% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 82% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. Tender plants can go out after about April 17; in half of years the first frost comes by October 19.
A year in Offutt AFB at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Offutt AFB’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Offutt AFB’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Offutt AFB feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Springfield 7e, NE, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Offutt AFB’s center in zone 5b: 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Plattsmouth 1e, NE, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Offutt AFB
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 Springfield 7e, NE.
Living with Offutt AFB’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Offutt AFB from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Offutt AFB and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Offutt AFB in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Offutt AFB’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offutt AFB, NE | 14° | 87° | 33" | 25" |
| Ottumwa, IA | 14° | 86° | 37" | 24" |
| Ottawa, IL | 16° | 85° | 37" | 24" |
| Napoleon, OH | 19° | 85° | 36" | 25" |
| Westland, MI | 18° | 84° | 34" | 31" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Offutt AFB averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Offutt AFB compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Offutt AFB’s place among Nebraska’s.
Offutt AFB weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Offutt AFB’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Plattsmouth 1e, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 14° | 0.8" | 7.7" | 5 | 15 | 16° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 19° | 1.0" | 6.6" | 5 | 12 | 17° – 38° |
| March | 51° | 29° | 1.8" | 3.2" | 6 | 4 | 33° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 3.3" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 43° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 2.5" | 0.8" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 29° | 1.4" | 1.1" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 50° |
| December | 37° | 19° | 1.2" | 4.7" | 5 | 8 | 15° – 34° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 32.9" | 25.3" | 75 | 41 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Offutt AFB’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 Offutt AFB’s center.
- Snow: Plattsmouth 1e, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Springfield 7e, NE, 6 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 Offutt AFB’s climate
What is the weather like in Offutt AFB?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Offutt AFB in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 134 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 16°.
How much snow does Offutt AFB get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Plattsmouth 1e, NE, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 41 days a year.
How hot does it get in Offutt AFB?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Springfield 7e, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Offutt AFB?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 183 frost-free days, at Springfield 7e, NE.
What growing zone is Offutt AFB in?
Zone 5b 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 Offutt AFB?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Offutt AFB getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Offutt AFB.
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.