Midwinter lows in Rock Falls Township sink below those of 91% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 87°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Rock Falls Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rock Falls Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rock Falls Township’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Rock Falls Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at O'neill, NE, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rock Falls Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Spencer 6 Sse, NE, is heaviest from February through March, about 6 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rock Falls Township
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 O'neill, NE.
Living with Rock Falls Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 5.
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 Rock Falls Township from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rock Falls Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rock Falls Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rock Falls 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Falls Township, NE | 12° | 87° | 26" | 31" |
| Council Bluffs, IA | 14° | 87° | 33" | 27" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
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 Rock Falls Township averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Rock Falls Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rock Falls Township’s place among Nebraska’s.
Rock Falls Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rock Falls Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Spencer 6 Sse, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 12° | 0.5" | 4.9" | 3 | 13 | 15° – 37° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.7" | 6.2" | 4 | 10 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 25° | 1.3" | 6.4" | 5 | 6 | 27° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 3.0" | 3.7" | 7 | 2 | 39° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 81° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 82° |
| August | 84° | 60° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 51° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 2.2" | 1.0" | 6 | 1 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 25° | 0.8" | 3.8" | 4 | 4 | 26° – 45° |
| December | 35° | 15° | 0.6" | 4.9" | 3 | 11 | 14° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 37° | 26.0" | 30.9" | 72 | 47 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rock Falls 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 Rock Falls Township’s center.
- Snow: Spencer 6 Sse, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: O'neill, 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 Rock Falls Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Rock Falls Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rock Falls Township in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Rock Falls Township get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Spencer 6 Sse, NE, heaviest from February through March, about 6 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 47 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rock Falls Township?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 62°. About 32 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (O'neill, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Rock Falls Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 155 frost-free days, at O'neill, NE.
What growing zone is Rock Falls Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rock Falls Township?
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 Rock Falls Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rock Falls 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.