Winter nights in Sterling are colder than in 85% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 83% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.7°, most of all in March. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 66–84°, belongs to May, June, September and October.
A year in Sterling at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sterling’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sterling’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Sterling feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tecumseh 1s, NE, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sterling’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sterling, 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 61 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sterling
85% 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 Tecumseh 1s, NE.
Living with Sterling’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sterling from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sterling and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sterling yet.
Climates most like Sterling’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling, NE | 15° | 87° | 32" | 21" |
| Ottumwa, IA | 14° | 86° | 37" | 24" |
| Chillicothe, IL | 16° | 86° | 37" | 20" |
| Napoleon, OH | 19° | 85° | 36" | 25" |
| Kirksville, MO | 17° | 86° | 41" | 19" |
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 Sterling averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Sterling compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sterling’s place among Nebraska’s.
Sterling weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sterling’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sterling, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 15° | 0.8" | 7.4" | 3 | 9 | 17° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 19° | 1.0" | 6.0" | 3 | 8 | 18° – 39° |
| March | 53° | 29° | 1.9" | 1.5" | 5 | 3 | 33° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 2.9" | 1.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 51° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 54° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 42° | 2.5" | 0.8" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 29° | 1.5" | 0.6" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 50° |
| December | 39° | 19° | 1.2" | 3.7" | 3 | 6 | 16° – 35° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 32.3" | 21.0" | 61 | 26 |
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 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Sterling’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 Sterling’s center.
- Snow: Sterling, NE (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tecumseh 1s, NE, 12 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 Sterling’s climate
What is the weather like in Sterling?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sterling in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 144 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Sterling get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Sterling, NE, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sterling?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 35 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Tecumseh 1s, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Sterling?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 164 frost-free days, at Tecumseh 1s, NE.
What growing zone is Sterling in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sterling?
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 Sterling getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sterling.
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.