Winter nights in Stuart are colder than in 91% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 87°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Stuart at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stuart’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stuart’s place in Nebraska beside it.
What a year in Stuart feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Atkinson 3sw, NE, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stuart’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Atkinson 3sw, NE, falls mostly in February and December. 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 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Stuart
90% 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 Atkinson 3sw, NE.
Living with Stuart’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 4.
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 Stuart 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 →Stuart and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Stuart yet.
Climates most like Stuart’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart, NE | 12° | 87° | 26" | 33" |
| Le Mars, IA | 9° | 85° | 30" | 31" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Marshall, MN | 6° | 84° | 28" | 44" |
| Providence, UT | 15° | 89° | 19" | 44" |
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 Stuart averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Stuart compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stuart’s place among Nebraska’s.
Stuart weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stuart’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Atkinson 3sw, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 12° | 0.5" | 5.5" | 4 | 16 | 14° – 37° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.7" | 6.7" | 4 | 14 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 24° | 1.3" | 5.1" | 5 | 8 | 27° – 49° |
| April | 59° | 34° | 3.0" | 4.1" | 8 | 3 | 38° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 45° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 80° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 87° | 61° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 84° | 59° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 50° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 36° | 2.1" | 1.5" | 6 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 24° | 0.8" | 4.0" | 4 | 5 | 25° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 15° | 0.6" | 6.2" | 4 | 14 | 14° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 36° | 25.8" | 33.3" | 81 | 60 |
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 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Stuart’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 Stuart’s center.
- Snow: Atkinson 3sw, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Atkinson 3sw, NE, 8 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 Stuart’s climate
What is the weather like in Stuart?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stuart in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Stuart get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Atkinson 3sw, NE, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 60 days a year.
How hot does it get in Stuart?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 61°. About 31 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Atkinson 3sw, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Stuart?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 152 frost-free days, at Atkinson 3sw, NE.
What growing zone is Stuart in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stuart?
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 Stuart getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stuart.
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.