With the end of September, thoughts are focused on fall weather as leaves begin to change color, pumpkin merchandise hits store shelves, and Halloween is right around the corner. However, this year the end of September will feel more like the end of August as we experience near-record-breaking heat across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
Find out if we will break any records, plus a look into why it is so hot below.
Much of our weather in the US is driven by the Jet Stream, that high-level belt of fast-moving air that drives weather systems across the country. It is effectively waves that ripple across the United States. Any dip in the jet stream is known as a "trough" while any bump is a "ridge". Troughs are commonly associated with cooler air spilling southward from Canada, while ridges are associated with warm air moving northward from the Tropics.
Over the last few days, the Midwest has been under the influence of a cut-off low-pressure system which has meandered from Minnesota into Illinois. That cut-off system brought us our last few days of pleasant weather with highs in the 70s. Beginning today, that cut-off low moved away and now a ridge has taken hold. This powerful ridge is allowing for unseasonably warm air to be pulled northward across the country, meaning we have our mini-heatwave.
In Omaha, temperatures are expected to hover in the low 90s for the next several days. A breakdown of our records and the current forecast is below. As of now, Friday might break a record, but we could stay just shy of it for Saturday into Tuesday.
Here is a breakdown for a select few cities:
LINCOLN
Friday -
Forecast: 95
Record: 94 (2002)
Saturday -
Forecast: 95
Record: 94 (1952)
Sunday -
Forecast: 93
Record: 94 (2006)
Monday -
Forecast: 92
Record: 94 (2005)
NORFOLK
Friday -
Forecast: 91
Record: 92 (1991)
Saturday -
Forecast: 90
Record: 94 (2019)
Sunday -
Forecast: 89
Record: 95 (1963)
Monday -
Forecast: 89
Record: 93 (1997)
CLARINDA
Friday -
Forecast: 91
Record: 94 (1911)
Saturday -
Forecast: 91
Record: 92 (1952)
Sunday -
Forecast: 89
Record: 94 (1976)
Monday -
Forecast: 88
Record: 94 (1953)
DENISON
Friday -
Forecast: 89
Record: 91 (2021)
Saturday -
Forecast: 88
Record: 88 (1952)
Sunday -
Forecast: 87
Record: 91 (1976)
Monday -
Forecast: 85
Record: 92 (1953)
