Nebraska Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Grand Island, and Kearney
This month in numbers
Nebraska experienced its 15th warmest April-June period on record, with an average temperature of 15.56°C, which is 0.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures for this three-month span ranked 13th warmest, at 23.15°C, a notable 1.1°C above average. Globally, land temperatures for April-June 2026 ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, at 15.74°C, a significant 1°C above the baseline. June 2026 itself saw an average temperature of 20.78°C, 0.4°C above average, ranking 36th warmest.
What changed
The past three months have been significantly warmer for Nebraska, with the April-June period ranking among the top 15 warmest on record. This trend aligns with the broader national picture, as the contiguous United States also experienced above-average temperatures for June 2026. Nebraska's 1-month anomaly of +0.37°C places it as the warmest in its NOAA Northern Rockies and Plains US climate region this month, and 209th out of 234 regions globally. The state's 12-month rolling anomaly of +2.58°C places it 23rd warmest globally, indicating a sustained warming trend.
What’s driving change?
Nebraska is currently grappling with widespread drought conditions, with much of the western half of the state experiencing severe to exceptional drought. This contributes to warmer temperatures, as the lack of moisture limits evaporative cooling. The state has also seen an unusual concentration of extreme weather events recently, with five wildfires occurring between late June and mid-July, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. One significant event was the South Fork Fire, which ignited in Sioux County around June 9, burning nearly 40,000 acres and prompting evacuations, though it was 100% contained by June 25. Additionally, a flood event occurred between May and July, and a drought event has been ongoing since December 2025. Heavy rainfall in early June, including up to 8 inches in Morrill County, led to localized flooding, though decades-old flood control dams prevented widespread damage in areas like Bayard. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's 3-month outlook for July-September 2026 indicates equal chances for above, near, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation across most of Nebraska, with a slight tendency for above-normal temperatures in the northeastern third of the state.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USA
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) or 1991–2020 (rainfall). See methodology.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Nebraska
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Nebraska – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Nebraska
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - 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 rainfall 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. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
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.
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.
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.