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Lincoln weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Seasons run to extremes in Lincoln: monthly means span 54.1°F between the coldest month and the warmest. Rainfall leans toward the stretch from April to September. Lincoln weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, extremes and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

+6.1°Fhigh well above average

73° / 44°Today
67° / 45°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+3.6°Faverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–49106frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 121 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 121 in the 1940s81days above 86°F a year now (2016–2025) · 51 in the 1940sdays above 86°F · 51 in the 1940s+3.6°F vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 1.1 incheshigh 34°low 17°February, rain 1.3 incheshigh 40°low 21°March, rain 2.6 incheshigh 52°low 31°April, rain 3.6 incheshigh 65°low 42°May, rain 4.8 incheshigh 75°low 54°June, rain 4.4 incheshigh 85°low 64°July, rain 3.3 incheshigh 89°low 68°August, rain 3.3 incheshigh 87°low 66°September, rain 3.0 incheshigh 80°low 57°October, rain 2.3 incheshigh 68°low 46°November, rain 1.6 incheshigh 51°low 32°December, rain 1.3 incheshigh 39°low 22°wettest month May, 4.8 inches · 32.7 inches a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Mostly clear

Right now

73.6°

69°feels like
40%humidity
48°dew point
10 mphfrom S
UV index3.1
sunrise07:43sunset18:38day length10h 55m
TodayClear73°44°
WedClear75°58°
ThuClear77°55°
FriOvercast78°62°
SatOvercast79°60°
SunOvercast63°49°
MonHeavy drizzle49°40°

On this date: October 20

Today (forecast)
73° / 44°
Average for October 20
67° / 45°

High well above average · +6.1°F

  • Highest since 1940: 84.9° · 1947
  • Lowest since 1940: 23.6° · 1989
  • One year ago: 65° / 49°

Every October 20 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 20 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Lincoln is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 40.80°N, 96.67°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
40.80°N, 96.67°W
Time zone
America/Chicago
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

22 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +4.0°F.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

July brings the year's peak warmth, with afternoons typically reaching 89.0°F and nights around 68.5°F. Around 55 nights a year stay above 68°F. The coolest month is January, when afternoons reach about 34.4°F and overnight lows sit around 16.7°F. Around 105 days a year dip below freezing.

In total, Lincoln averages about 32.7 inches of precipitation a year; May is usually the wettest month (4.8 inches) and January the driest (1.1 inches).

Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Lincoln has risen by 3.6°F between its first decade and its last. Days above 86°F have grown noticeably more frequent, from around 50 a year in the first decade to about 80 in the last.

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 54°F. Wettest month: May (~4.8 in). Whole year averages ~32.7 inches of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 76 rainy days a year: most in May (~10), fewest in January (~3).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 0.08 in per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Lincoln month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Highest and Lowest are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightHighestLowest
January34.4°16.7°1.1 in39.4 h69.8° (1981)−22.1° (1996)
February39.8°20.6°1.3 in410.4 h81.9° (2024)−26.6° (2021)
March51.6°30.7°2.6 in611.7 h88.4° (2012)−13.5° (1998)
April65.0°42.4°3.6 in913.1 h98.0° (1989)5.4° (1975)
May74.7°53.6°4.8 in1014.3 h101.0° (2018)25.1° (1944)
June84.5°64.0°4.4 in914.9 h107.4° (1988)42.5° (1945)
July89.0°68.5°3.3 in714.7 h111.6° (1954)46.5° (1971)
August87.1°66.3°3.3 in713.6 h105.2° (1983)41.2° (1950)
September79.6°57.3°3.0 in612.3 h103.0° (2022)27.5° (1984)
October67.6°45.8°2.3 in510.9 h95.5° (1963)11.6° (1997)
November51.4°32.4°1.6 in49.7 h85.9° (2006)−5.1° (1991)
December38.7°21.6°1.3 in49.1 h69.7° (2021)−26.7° (1989)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +3.6°F.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.41°F per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Mar–May is warming fastest: +0.62°F per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 86°F per year: 51.2 early in the record → 80.9 recently. Frost days: 121 → 106.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

Hottest day since 1940 in 1954, coldest in 1989: 111.6°F / −26.7°F.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~32.7 in/year on average. Last decade: −2% vs that average. Long-term trend: +0.03 in per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Lincoln

Which is the warmest month in Lincoln?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Lincoln is July (mean daily temperature of about 78.0°F) and the coolest is January (about 23.9°F).
How does today's temperature in Lincoln compare to the historical average?
On October 20, 2026, Lincoln is forecast to reach a high of 73.4°F and a low of 43.9°F. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 67.3°F and a low of 44.7°F, so today's high is 6.1°F warmer than that average.
How much has Lincoln warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Lincoln is about 3.6°F warmer.
How much does it rain in Lincoln?
Lincoln receives about 32.7 inches of precipitation per year on long-term average, with May typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Lincoln?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Lincoln is about 52.2°F. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in Lincoln by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Lincoln (°F, full record since 1940): January 34°/17°, February 40°/21°, March 52°/31°, April 65°/42°, May 75°/54°, June 85°/64°, July 89°/68°, August 87°/66°, September 80°/57°, October 68°/46°, November 51°/32°, December 39°/22°.
What is the weather like in Lincoln in summer?
June to August is summer in Lincoln, and it is hot. Afternoons run 85–89°F and nights 64–68°F; July is the warmest month. Rain is steady at around 3.7 inches a month, spread over roughly 8 days.
What is the weather like in Lincoln in winter?
December to February is winter in Lincoln, and it is cold. Expect 34–40°F by day and 17–22°F at night, with January the coldest month. Rain and snow are steady at around 1.2 inches a month, spread over roughly 4 days. It is the driest season of the year.
What is the weather like in Lincoln in spring?
March to May is spring in Lincoln, and it is fairly mild. March starts at 52°F by day and 31°F at night; by May it is 75°F and 54°F. Rain rises from 2.6 inches on 6 days in March to 4.8 inches on 10 days in May.
What is the weather like in Lincoln in autumn?
September to November is autumn in Lincoln, and it is mild. September is still 80°F by day and 57°F at night; by November it is down to 51°F and 32°F. Rain eases through the season: 6 rainy days and 3.0 inches in September, 4 days and 1.6 inches in November.
How many days a year does it rain in Lincoln?
On long-term average, Lincoln has about 76 days a year with at least 0.08 inches of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 32.7 inches.

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