William H. Charlton House · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Sprague has colder winter nights than 85% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 88°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 73°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 84% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 66–84°, runs through May, June, September and October.
A year in Sprague at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sprague’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sprague’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Sprague feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Crete 4ese, NE, 7 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sprague’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Roca, NE, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sprague
85% 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 Crete 4ese, NE.
Living with Sprague’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sprague from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (27%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sprague and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sprague yet.
Climates most like Sprague’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprague, NE | 15° | 88° | 32" | 29" |
| Ottumwa, IA | 14° | 86° | 37" | 24" |
| East Peoria, IL | 17° | 86° | 38" | 26" |
| Yankton, SD | 10° | 86° | 28" | 38" |
| Maumee, OH | 20° | 85° | 34" | 37" |
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 Sprague averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Sprague compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sprague’s place among Nebraska’s.
Sprague weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sprague’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Roca, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 15° | 0.8" | 7.8" | 5 | 17° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 19° | 1.0" | 6.6" | 6 | 18° – 38° |
| March | 52° | 29° | 1.7" | 4.1" | 7 | 33° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 2.8" | 1.9" | 10 | 43° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 88° | 65° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 71° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 54° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 2.4" | 1.5" | 7 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 29° | 1.4" | 2.4" | 7 | 31° – 49° |
| December | 39° | 19° | 1.2" | 4.3" | 6 | 16° – 34° |
| Year | 63° | 40° | 31.6" | 28.6" | 96 |
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 56°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Sprague’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 Sprague’s center.
- Snow: Roca, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Crete 4ese, NE, 7 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher; 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 Sprague’s climate
What is the weather like in Sprague?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sprague in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Sprague get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Roca, NE, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Sprague?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 65°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Crete 4ese, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Sprague?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 170 frost-free days, at Crete 4ese, NE.
What growing zone is Sprague in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sprague?
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 Sprague getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sprague.
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.