Nebraska Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Grand Island, and Kearney
Summary
A warm month in Nebraska delivered elevated temperatures across the state, marking the 10th warmest July on record as summer heat settled over the Great Plains. The warm conditions coincided with a sudden surge in regional fire activity, with all of Nebraska's 3 wildfires this year occurring within the past month. The warmth aligns with a broader global pattern that saw planet-wide land temperatures reach extraordinary levels, with elevated temperatures set to continue into early autumn.
This month in numbers
July 2026 brought an average temperature of 25.33°C to Nebraska, standing 1.6°C above the 1961-1990 baseline and ranking 10th highest in 77 years of recorded history. Daytime maximum temperatures averaged 32.5°C, making it the 12th warmest such period on record, while rainfall measured 70.61 mm, or 7.9 mm below average. Over the May to July period, state temperatures averaged 20.59°C (+0.9°C anomaly, ranking 13th). Globally, land temperatures during the month reached 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly), ranking 3rd highest on record, while the May to July global land average ranked 2nd highest (+1.5°C anomaly).
What changed
The recent summer heat builds on a sustained warming trajectory for Nebraska, where the long-term trend sits at +1.04°C above the baseline and 2025 ranked as the 6th warmest year on record. Across the United States, July temperatures averaged 23.01°C (+1.5°C anomaly), reflecting widespread heat across North America. Over a 12-month rolling window, Nebraska ranked 13th highest out of 232 regions globally for temperature anomalies, highlighting persistent elevated warmth across the Central Plains.
What’s driving change?
Recent weather patterns across the Great Plains have been influenced by , where persistent high-pressure ridges trap warm air and stifle convective cooling. This effect is often magnified by , as moisture-depleted soils transfer incoming solar energy directly into atmospheric heating rather than cooling through evaporation. These hot, dry conditions contributed to elevated fire risk across the state, and all of Nebraska's 3 wildfires this year have happened in the past month, tracked live on our map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks from climate prediction centres indicate that above-normal temperatures are likely to persist across the Northern Plains through late summer and into early autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Nebraska
Köppen Dwa · ContinentalNebraska has a continental climate (Köppen Dwa: Humid continental - dry winter, hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 23.7°C, while January is the coldest at -3.9°C. Annual precipitation averages around 608mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Nebraska
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – Nebraska
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Nebraska
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – Nebraska
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – Nebraska
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dwa · ContinentalNebraska has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±15.0°C) and a wet/dry cycle (8× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: May (+22 mm, +25%).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Nebraska
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Nebraska changing?
Nebraska is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Nebraska?
Nebraska has a continental climate (Köppen Dwa: Humid continental - dry winter, hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 23.7°C, while January is the coldest at -3.9°C. Annual precipitation averages around 608mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Nebraska come from?
Climate data for Nebraska comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Nebraska climate data cover?
The Nebraska climate profile covers Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Grand Island and surrounding areas. Nebraska climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Nebraska climate update refreshed?
The Nebraska climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Nebraska climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Nebraska climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.