Rackett Grange Hall # 318 · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Oshkosh is drier than 91% of U.S. towns: 18 inches of precipitation a year
January nights here settle around 14°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 87% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. The outdoor season, with highs of 72–83°, runs through May, June and September.
A year in Oshkosh at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oshkosh’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oshkosh’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Oshkosh feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oshkosh, NE, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oshkosh’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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oshkosh, NE, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 66 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Oshkosh
89% 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 Oshkosh, NE.
Living with Oshkosh’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oshkosh from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oshkosh and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Oshkosh yet.
Climates most like Oshkosh’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshkosh, NE | 14° | 89° | 18" | 28" |
| Fountain, CO | 18° | 89° | 16" | 33" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Colby, KS | 17° | 91° | 20" | 27" |
| 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 Oshkosh averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Oshkosh compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oshkosh’s place among Nebraska’s.
Oshkosh weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oshkosh’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oshkosh, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 14° | 0.3" | 3.8" | 2 | 11 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 44° | 17° | 0.4" | 5.3" | 3 | 8 | 19° – 38° |
| March | 54° | 25° | 0.9" | 4.1" | 4 | 3 | 31° – 48° |
| April | 62° | 33° | 2.0" | 3.8" | 7 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 83° | 54° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| August | 87° | 58° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 34° | 1.3" | 1.6" | 5 | 1 | 41° – 55° |
| November | 52° | 23° | 0.5" | 3.6" | 3 | 3 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 14° | 0.3" | 5.1" | 2 | 8 | 19° – 33° |
| Year | 64° | 35° | 17.9" | 27.7" | 66 | 35 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Oshkosh’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 Oshkosh’s center.
- Snow: Oshkosh, NE (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oshkosh, NE, 0.4 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 Oshkosh’s climate
What is the weather like in Oshkosh?
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 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oshkosh in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Oshkosh get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Oshkosh, NE, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 35 days a year.
How hot does it get in Oshkosh?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 60°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Oshkosh, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Oshkosh?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 144 frost-free days, at Oshkosh, NE.
What growing zone is Oshkosh 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 Oshkosh?
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 Oshkosh getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oshkosh.
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.