Oct. 2014: Weather/Climate Review and Extremes

(Click on the links in gray boxes below to quickly jump to information located farther down the page)

* Please Note: All climate data presented here are preliminary and have not undergone final quality control by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Therefore, these data are subject to revision. Final and certified climate data can be accessed at: WWW.NCDC.NOAA.GOV. 

October 2014 Climate And Weather Review For South Central Nebraska
And Portions Of North Central Kansas

...** Unfortunately, due to lack of time, the Oct. 2014 narrative section was not completed However, ALL OTHER aspects of this page are complete. **...

The following narrative focuses on climate and weather highlights for the month of October 2014 across the NWS Hastings coverage area, encompassing 24 counties in south central and central Nebraska, and 6 counties in north central Kansas. Click here for a map of this coverage area. The temperature and precipitation data presented here are largely based on the NWS Cooperative Observer network, along with data from a handful of automated airport sites. All climate averages and "normals" presented here are based on the official NCDC 1981-2010 normals.

- TEMPERATURES...(According to 30-year averages, "normal" October high temperatures in South Central Nebraska gradually decrease from the lower-mid 70s early in the month to the upper 50s-lower 60s by the end of the month, while highs in North Central Kansas gradually decrease from the mid-70s to the lower-60s. "Normal" October low temperatures across most of the 30-county area gradually decrease from the lower-mid 40s early in the month to the lower-mid 30s late....)

(Please look farther down the page for more information on October 2014 temperatures and extremes, including detailed breakdowns for Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney and Ord.)


- PRECIPITATION/FLOODING...(According to 30-year averages, "normal" October precipitation across the NWS Hastings coverage area is fairly uniform, with most places generally expected to receive between 1.80 - 2.10 inches. Normal October snowfall across most of the area is only between 0.5 - 1 inch...)

(Please look farther down the page for more information on October 2014 precipitation/snowfall and extremes, including rankings of wettest and driest locations, percent-of-normal plots, and a detailed breakdown for Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney and Ord. In addition, the link on the far upper right of this page contains an archive of monthly/annual precipitation and snowfall totals for around 70 locations.)

- DROUGHT STATUS (see images at bottom of page)...  

- SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS/HIGH WINDS (for all official/finalized storm reports please refer to NCDC Storm Data)...

- Number of Severe Thunderstorm Warning polygons issued by NWS Hastings in October 2014: 19 (5 more than Oct. 2013)
- Number of Tornado Warning polygons issued by NWS Hastings in October 2014: 0 (1 less than Oct. 2013) 
- Number of confirmed tornadoes within the NWS Hastings coverage area in October 2014: ZERO (same as Oct. 2013)

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Click on the link below for October 2014 climate summaries specifically for Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney and Ord 

Grand Island - Hastings - Kearney - Ord

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Various graphs and tables depicting October 2014 climate data for
South Central Nebraska and North Central Kansas:

* Please Note: These data are preliminary and have not undergone final quality control by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Therefore, these data are subject to revision. Final and certified climate data can be accessed at WWW.NCDC.NOAA.GOV

Click Each Graph To Go To Monthly Temp/Precip Summary Pages

Grand Island Temperature Summary: Observed daily maximum and minimum temperatures are connected by blue bars. Area between normal maximum and minimum temperatures is shaded green. Red bars connect record high temperatures. Blue bars connect record low temperatures.	Hastings Temperature Summary: Observed daily maximum and minimum temperatures are connected by blue bars. Area between normal maximum and minimum temperatures is shaded green. Red bars connect record high temperatures. Blue bars connect record low temperatures.

Click Images To Enlarge

Grand Island Precipitation Summary: Green line indicates cumulative observed precipitation for October 2014. Brown line indicates "normal" October precipitation based on 30-year data from 1981-2010.	Hastings Precipitation Summary: Green line indicates cumulative observed precipitation for October 2014. Brown line indicates "normal" October precipitation based on 30-year data from 1981-2010.

 Most of the following images depicting October 2014 Precipitation and Temperatures are courtesy of the High Plains Regional Climate Center:

* Please note: These maps are a "best-approximation" of actual measured values, and data reflected on these maps may not exactly match actual values due to the effects of interpolation and "smoothing" used to create the maps. In addition, some "bullseyes" may be a result of missing data.

Click Images To Enlarge

Nebraska: October 2014 Measured Precipitation (Inches)	Kansas: October 2014 Measured Precipitation (Inches)
Nebraska: October 2014 Percent of Normal Measured Precip.	Kansas: October 2014 Percent of Normal Measured Precip.
NWS Hastings Area: October 2014 Total "Observed" Precipitation Based On AHPS Precipitation Analysis Including Radar Data
	While the precipitation images above are based strictly on gauge-measured data, this image on the left utilizes an "Observed" multisensor approach created by River Forecast Centers. Hourly precipitation estimates from WSR-88D NEXRAD radar are compared to ground rainfall gauge reports, and a bias (correction factor) is calculated and applied to the radar field. For much more information on these types of images, and to create your own precipitation maps, please visit the following site: https://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge2/ RFC_Precip/index.php?site=gid
Nebraska: October 2014  Temperature Departure  from Normal (F)	Kansas: October 2014 Temperature Departure  from Normal (F)

The following drought category images, current as of November 4, 2014, are courtesy of the U.S. Drought Monitor (see narrative above for more details):

Click Images To Enlarge 

Nebraska - U.S. Drought Monitor as of November 4, 2014	Kansas - U.S. Drought Monitor as of November 4, 2014

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For more climate related information, check out the following websites: