Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainMidwinter lows in St. Paul sink below those of 88% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about April 23; in half of years the first frost comes by October 14.
A year in St. Paul at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Paul’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Paul’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in St. Paul feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Paul, NE, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Paul’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Saint Paul, NE, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in St. Paul
84% of the work is heating. 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 Saint Paul, NE.
Living with St. Paul’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 14.
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 St. Paul from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Paul and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Paul yet.
Climates most like St. Paul’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul, NE | 14° | 87° | 27" | 22" |
| Le Mars, IA | 9° | 85° | 30" | 31" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Chillicothe, IL | 16° | 86° | 37" | 20" |
| Savannah, MO | 18° | 87° | 37" | 21" |
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 St. Paul averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 St. Paul compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Paul’s place among Nebraska’s.
St. Paul weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Paul’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Saint Paul, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 14° | 0.6" | 4.7" | 4 | 11 | 17° – 37° |
| February | 39° | 17° | 0.7" | 6.2" | 5 | 10 | 17° – 37° |
| March | 52° | 27° | 1.5" | 3.0" | 6 | 4 | 31° – 52° |
| April | 62° | 37° | 2.8" | 1.8" | 9 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 83° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 52° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 39° | 2.1" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 50° | 26° | 1.2" | 2.2" | 4 | 2 | 28° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 17° | 0.8" | 4.1" | 4 | 9 | 17° – 32° |
| Year | 62° | 38° | 27.3" | 22.4" | 82 | 37 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where St. Paul’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 St. Paul’s center.
- Snow: Saint Paul, NE (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Paul, 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 St. Paul’s climate
What is the weather like in St. Paul?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Paul in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 145 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does St. Paul get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Saint Paul, NE, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 37 days a year.
How hot does it get in St. Paul?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 63°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Saint Paul, NE).
When is the first and last frost in St. Paul?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 172 frost-free days, at Saint Paul, NE.
What growing zone is St. Paul in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Paul?
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 St. Paul getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Paul.
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.