Nebraska Climate
Top 5 Cities: Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Grand Island, and Kearney
This month in numbers
Nebraska experienced its warmest February to April period on record, with an average temperature of 7.3°C, an astounding 4.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marked the warmest February to April for maximum temperatures, reaching 15.89°C, a significant 6.1°C above average. April 2026 itself was the 12th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 10.39°C, which is 1.3°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
This exceptionally warm three-month period for Nebraska stands in stark contrast to the national picture, though the US as a whole has also experienced warmer than average conditions. Nebraska's 3-month anomaly of +4.4°C ranks it as the 10th warmest region globally in our cross-region rankings, with 9 of the top 10 warmest regions being US states, indicating a striking concentration of warmth across the country. Precipitation for February to April was significantly below average, ranking as the 72nd driest period on record with only 19.22 mm, a deficit of 17.1 mm. This lack of moisture has exacerbated drought conditions, particularly in western and central Nebraska, which are experiencing their worst early May drought conditions since at least 1999, and likely since the 1930s.
What’s driving change?
The record warmth and dryness in Nebraska are largely driven by , with the previous winter (2025-2026) being one of the warmest and driest on record. This has led to widespread drought, with approximately 90% of Nebraska under active drought conditions as of May 19, 2026, and 8.3% experiencing exceptional drought. The dry conditions and strong winds have also contributed to an unusual concentration of wildfire activity, with four wildfire events occurring between May 14 and May 21, representing 100% of the annual total for Nebraska. Over 800,000 acres burned in Nebraska alone in the first few months of 2026, a record for the state, with the Morrill Fire in mid-March accounting for over 600,000 acres. There have also been two drought events and one flood event in the past 12 months, with the recent occurrences representing 100% of the annual total for each type, indicating an unusual concentration of these events. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The latest outlook for May suggests a dry start to the month for Nebraska, with little to no precipitation expected in the first two weeks, which could further worsen drought conditions.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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.
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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
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.