Upper Oak Creek Descent Ruts of the Woodbury Cutoff, Ox Bow Trail of the California Road · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Winter nights in Richardson Township are colder than in 87% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 86°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 85% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Richardson Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Richardson Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Richardson Township’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Richardson Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at David City, NE, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Richardson Township’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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Weston 3nw, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Richardson Township
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 David City, NE.
Living with Richardson Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
168 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Richardson Township from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Richardson Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Richardson Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Richardson Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richardson Township, NE | 14° | 86° | 30" | 34" |
| Des Moines, IA | 13° | 85° | 35" | 37" |
| Sylvania, OH | 19° | 85° | 34" | 37" |
| Milan, MI | 17° | 84° | 34" | 39" |
| Rock Island, IL | 14° | 85° | 37" | 36" |
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 Richardson Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Richardson Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Richardson Township’s place among Nebraska’s.
Richardson Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Richardson Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Weston 3nw, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 14° | 0.7" | 7.2" | 4 | 18 | 17° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 18° | 0.8" | 9.1" | 5 | 14 | 17° – 37° |
| March | 50° | 29° | 1.6" | 5.4" | 6 | 5 | 32° – 54° |
| April | 62° | 38° | 2.8" | 1.5" | 9 | 1 | 42° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 2.2" | 1.2" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 28° | 1.3" | 2.8" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 49° |
| December | 37° | 18° | 1.1" | 6.9" | 5 | 11 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 30.0" | 34.4" | 88 | 51 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 54°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Richardson Township’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 Richardson Township’s center.
- Snow: Weston 3nw, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: David City, NE, 14 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 Richardson Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Richardson Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Richardson Township in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Richardson Township get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Weston 3nw, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 51 days a year.
How hot does it get in Richardson Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (David City, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Richardson Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 168 frost-free days, at David City, NE.
What growing zone is Richardson Township 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 Richardson Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Richardson Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Richardson Township.
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.