May 19-21, 2015: Unusually Cold Weather For Late May Across The Local Area

...THIS HAS BEEN THE COLDEST BRIEF STRETCH OF LATE-MAY WEATHER IN SEVERAL
DECADES AT GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS...

NEEDLESS TO SAY...UNUSUALLY COLD TEMPERATURES FOR LATE-MAY WERE THE
MAIN WEATHER STORY ON MAY 19-20, 2015, AND LASTING INTO THE MORNING OF
THE 21ST. ALTHOUGH NO INDIVIDUAL DAILY TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE ACTUALLY
BROKEN AT GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS AIRPORTS (TWO OF THE PRIMARY CLIMATE
RECORD SITES IN THE AREA)...IT HAS NONETHELESS BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE
IT HAS BEEN THIS COLD THIS LATE INTO THE SPRING. FOLLOWING BELOW ARE FURTHER
DETAILS FOR GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS...
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..CENTRAL NEBRASKA REGIONAL AIRPORT IN GRAND ISLAND..
(TEMPERATURE RECORDS DATE TO 1896)

- WITH DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES OF (46,51) AND LOW TEMPERATURES OF
(39,40)...THE OVERALL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR MAY 19-20 AT
CENTRAL NEBRASKA REGIONAL AIRPORT IN GRAND ISLAND WAS ONLY 44.0
DEGREES. THIS ACTUALLY RANKED AS THE 4TH-COLDEST STRETCH ON RECORD
OF TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS THIS LATE INTO THE SPRING. HERE ARE THE
TOP-5 COLDEST (BASED ON AVERAGE TEMPERATURE):

1) 36.8 DEGREES...MAY 19-20, 1915 (PART OF A 3-DAY COLD STRETCH)
2) 41.3 DEGREES...MAY 20-21, 1915 (PART OF A 3-DAY COLD STRETCH)
3) 43.0 DEGREES...MAY 28-29, 1947
4) 44.0 DEGREES...MAY 19-20, 2015 (JUST OCCURRED)
5) 44.5 DEGREES...MAY 21-22, 1963

- ON THE MORNING OF THURSDAY MAY 21...THE LOW TEMPERATURE AT
CENTRAL NEBRASKA REGIONAL AIRPORT IN GRAND ISLAND BOTTOMED OUT AT
36 DEGREES. ALTHOUGH THIS STAYED THREE DEGREES ABOVE THE RECORD
LOW FOR THE DATE (33 SET IN 1963 AND 1931)...THIS STILL MARKED
THE COLDEST LOW TEMPERATURE THIS LATE INTO THE SPRING IN 23
YEARS...SINCE A LOW OF 36 ON MAY 26, 1992.

..HASTINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT..
(TEMPERATURE RECORDS DATE TO 1907)

- WITH DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES OF (47,51) AND LOW TEMPERATURES OF
(40,40)...THE OVERALL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR MAY 19-20 AT
HASTINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WAS A CHILLY 44.5 DEGREES. THIS
ACTUALLY RANKED AS THE 3RD-COLDEST STRETCH ON RECORD OF TWO
CONSECUTIVE DAYS THIS LATE INTO THE SPRING. HERE ARE THE TOP-5
COLDEST (BASED ON AVERAGE TEMPERATURE):

1) 41.3 DEGREES...MAY 19-20, 1915 (PART OF A 3-DAY COLD STRETCH)
2) 43.5 DEGREES...MAY 28-29, 1915
3) 44.5 DEGREES...MAY 19-20, 2015 (JUST OCCURRED)
4) 45.5 DEGREES...MAY 26-27, 1992
5) 46.0 DEGREES...MAY 20-21, 1931
(NOTE: UNFORTUNATELY HASTINGS HAD MISSING DATA FOR MAY 28, 1947
AND THUS THE LATE-MAY 1947 COLD SNAP COULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE
RANKINGS)

- ON THE MORNING OF THURSDAY MAY 21...THE LOW TEMPERATURE AT
HASTINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT BOTTOMED OUT AT 37 DEGREES. ALTHOUGH
THIS STAYED THREE DEGREES ABOVE THE RECORD LOW FOR THE DATE (34
SET IN 1931)...THIS STILL MARKED THE COLDEST LOW TEMPERATURE THIS
LATE INTO THE SPRING IN 47 YEARS...SINCE A LOW OF 35 ON MAY 21,
1968.