National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Widespread Precipitation and Snow Across the Pacific Northwest; Heavy Rain and Severe Thunderstorms Across the Central and Southern U.S.

Widespread precipitation is expected across the Northwest and northern Rockies through Monday, including heavy mountain snow for parts of the region. A powerful storm is expected to bring periods of heavy rain, gusty winds, and the potential for severe thunderstorms throughout the southern to central Plains between tonight and Monday. Read More >

...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.