Scotts Bluff National Monument - Weather

Scotts Bluff National Monument by National Parks Service

Scotts Bluff National Monument is located in the middle of the North American continent within the temperate climatic zone. Annual precipitation (rain and melted snow) averages fifteen inches. Typically the winters are cold and dry. Temperatures below zero on the Fahrenheit scale are not uncommon. Snowfall is usually of the dry, powdery type and blows easily. Blizzards are common. Most of the moisture comes in the spring with snows, which are wet and heavy and spring rains. Summer daytime high temperatures average 90 degrees. Summer nights are usually cool. Summer rains are usually scattered or isolated with occasional thunderstorms.

Lightning and hail usually accompany these storms. Tornados can form from these thunderstorms. Winds are common throughout the year, but tend to be much stronger during seasonal changes in the fall and the spring. High winds are also common with thunderstorms. Humidity is usually low. The winds and low humidity facilitate rapid evaporation.