This week, for the first time since May, large portions of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa have been labeled abnormally dry by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The worst conditions have been in northeast Nebraska, northwest Iowa, southeast Nebraska and southern Iowa. Rains late this week and weekend could ease that situation.
Record nighttime warmth:
According to the National Weather Service in Valley, the Omaha area has endured record-setting warm nights. As of Friday morning, Omaha had experienced 22 consecutive overnight lows of 70 degrees or higher. The previous record was set in July 1923.
Near-record months
July was the fifth-warmest on record in Norfolk and 10th-warmest in Omaha.
Solar summer ends
The three months with the greatest amount of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere ended Friday.
Hot In North Platte:
North Platte reached 100 degrees on Aug. 1 for the first time since Aug. 3, 2008, the city's seventh-longest stretch of days below that mark. The longest lasted about five years in the 1880s.
Sources: AccuWeather Inc. and the National Weather Service
An extended stretch of cooler weather is on tap in the Midlands, and the brutal heat of summer may be a thing of the past.
"I have good news for you," said Henry Margusity, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, The World-Herald's weather consultant. "The extreme heat is over. We're going to start getting cooler air masses coming down from Canada."
Not only does that mean lower temperatures, it also means less humidity, Margusity said.
Just how good is that news? From a forecast high of around 90 degrees Saturday in Omaha, midweek highs in Omaha might struggle to reach 80 degrees, the National Weather Service says.
A cool front sliding in this weekend is bringing immediate relief. In the longer term, Margusity said, a seasonal shift in the jet stream will make it hard for this summer's extraordinary heat to reassert itself.
The jet stream is an upper-level stream of air that drives weather patterns, directing storms and governing the movement of conflicting air masses. It is slowly migrating southward, he said, and as it does, it should hold the heat at bay.
"We've really kind of broken the back of summer in terms of the extreme heat," he said.
Becky Kern, a National Weather Service meteorologist, hesitated to write summer's obituary just yet. About 10 days from now, she said, the heat could reassert itself. She said it's too early to forecast how intensely.
Margusity agreed a quick spike could come later in August. But July's pattern of unrelenting hot, humid weather is history, he said. Instead, highs are likely to top out in the low 90s for a day or two this month and then just as quickly drop back down.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1102, nancy.gaarder@owh.com
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