National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Top Weather Events of 2022

Here is a look back at some of the notable weather events that occurred in eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa in 2022. Below the events are climate records and other facts from the year.


 

The Drought

The area started the year with drought concerns as portions of eastern Nebraska were classified as Abnormally Dry (D0) or in a Moderate Drought (D1) according to the Drought Monitor. The drought worsened as the year progressed. The 2021-22 winter was one of the driest on record with only Omaha reaching double digits snowfall for the season (10.8”). It was the least snowy winter in Lincoln (5.1”) and the 3rd least in Norfolk (4.1”). By April, most of the region was classified as in a Severe Drought (D2). The dryness was apparent during the month of April as a total of 11 Red Flag Warnings (RFWs) were in effect on the month and for 4 straight days from April 11-14. A total of 27 RFWs were issued on the year which is the most ever for the Omaha/Valley office. Late spring and early summer rains provided some improvement of drought criteria, most notably in southeast Nebraska where the year’s highest rainfall totals were observed. However, a dry late summer and fall led to an expansion and degradation of drought conditions. Northeast Nebraska was classified as in Exceptional Drought (D4) in September, which is the worst drought classification. By November, most of the region was classified as Severe Drought (D3). The last year to end with this level of drought classification was 2012 when 33% of the area was classified as in Exceptional Drought (D4). Exceptional Drought is the worst category of drought classification.


 

April 12-13, 2022 - Storms, Record High Temperatures, Record Temperature Drop

A strong low pressure system brought a surge of warm, moist air to the north. South winds in the morning and afternoon gusted between 40 to 55 mph across southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa. The high temperature record was broken at all 3 climate sites by 5°. A cold front moved into the area from the northwest which initiated a line of storms which produced 4 confirmed tornadoes and 38 storm reports for hail and damaging wind gusts. Two of the 4 tornadoes were located in Harrison County, 1 in Otoe County, and 1 in Seward County.

Northwest winds on the backside of the front were strong with 60 mph wind gusts observed at Norfolk and Wayne. Cold air advection behind the front resulted in one of the largest observed 24-hour temperature drops on record at Norfolk and Lincoln. Omaha observed its 2nd largest drop. Afternoon high temperatures were in the 90s on the 12th before dropping into the 20s and 30s the next morning. The previous records occurred on April 2-3,1982 (table below). Of note, April 2, 1982 was a large tornado outbreak, though no tornadoes occurred in Nebraska. Iowa recorded 1. It was the first day the Severe Local Storms Unit (now called the Storm Prediction Center) issued its first officially documented high risk as well as the first tornado watch to contain the wording Particularly Dangerous Situation.

 

Record Temperature Drop

Location April 12 Max April 13 Min Difference Previous Record
Norfolk 90 25 65 57
Lincoln 91 31 60 57
Omaha 91 32 59 63*
Oakdale, NE 86 21 65 56
Albion 88 23 65 55
Columbus 90 26 64 N/A
Wayne 88 26 62 N/A
David City 4E 88 27 61 56
Friend 3E 90 29 61 N/A
Seward 90 29 61 55
Springfield 7E 92 31 61 N/A
West Point 87 26 61 55
Blair 90 29 61 63*
Tekamah 92 31 61 58
Wahoo 90 29 61 60
Little Sioux 2NW 90 30 60 N/A
Council Bluffs 90 30 60 N/A
Fremont 89 30 59 62*
Gretna 89 30 59 N/A
Offutt AFB 91 32 59 N/A
Plattsmouth 91 32 59 N/A
Valley NWS 89 30 59 N/A
Beatrice 89 31 58 56
Nebraska City 90 32 58 N/A
Mead 6S 89 32 57 53
Verdel 6SSE 78 22 56 N/A
Harlan 86 30 56 64*
Red Oak 88 32 56 71*
Auburn 5ESE 93 38 55 60*
Fort Calhoun 4W 80 25 55 N/A
Oakland, IA 87 32 55 66*
*Indicates value is still the current record

 

April 28, 2022 - An Hour of Hail

A meandering and sometimes stationary series of thunderstorms led to hail falling for nearly an hour in parts of Madison and Platte counties. Hail covered the ground as if it was snowfall. Highways in the area had visible paths through the hail. The largest hailstones were about 2 inches in diameter. In addition to the hail, a wide swatch of 5 to 7 inches of rain were observed across the county with Platte Center reporting 7.5 inches of rain (there was an unofficial report of 10 inches north of town). Several flash flood and flood warnings were issued for the area. There were several reports of water across roads with US81 being closed temporarily between Norfolk and Columbus. Additionally, Elm Creek experienced a flash flood that led to water entering several homes and businesses in Platte Center.

    

Credit: Janel Sueper                                                         Credit: Renee Engel Stallbaumer


 

April 2022 - A Windy, Dry Month

The wind already seemed like it was constantly blowing over the winter and it did not change in April. Omaha, Norfolk, and Lincoln all observed one of their windiest months on record observing monthly average wind speeds not seen since the 70s and 80s. Of particular note was April 23 when a High Wind Warning was in effect for most of northeast Nebraska and western Iowa. Several locations recorded peak wind gusts of at least 60 mph. At Omaha, Lincoln, and Norfolk it was the 4th, 7th, and 9th fastest average daily wind speed on record. The fastest daily average wind speed was at Tekamah which observed an average of 30.6 mph where the wind gusted above 40 mph for much of the day.

In addition to the wind speed, the lack of moisture was also noted with issuance of 11 Red Flag Warnings (Red Flag Warnings are issued based on a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity) on the month. No more than 5 days passed without an RFW being in effect for a portion of the area. The 11 RFWs issued was more than the 10 issued for all of 2021.

Top 10 Monthly Average Wind Speeds (mph)

Norfolk Omaha Lincoln
20.2 - Jan 1949 16.5 - Apr 1960 14.8 - Apr 1984
18.8 - Apr 1951 15.6 - Mar 1950 14.5 - Mar 1950
18.6 - Mar 1951 15.6 - Mar 1951 14.5 - Apr 2022
18.2 - Mar 1950 15.3 - Apr 1950 14.2 - Apr 1978
17.6 - Mar 1949 15.2 - Apr 1951 13.9 - Apr 1948
17.6 - Apr 1950 15.1 - Apr 1956 13.8 - Apr 1951
17.0 - Apr 1948 14.9 - Mar 1954 13.7 - Jan 1949
17.0 - Feb 1949 14.9 - Apr 2022 13.7 - Apr 1974
16.5 - Apr 2022 14.8 - Mar 1956 13.7 - Mar 1979
16.3 - Mar 1966 14.8 - Apr 1973 13.6 - Apr 1954

 


 

June 11, 2022 - Very Large Hail and Tornadoes

A couple of strong supercells developed in Saline and Gage counties producing very large hail in Beatrice. Numerous large hail reports were received with the largest being 5 inches. That 5-inch report was the largest ever transmitted by the Omaha/Valley office via a Local Storm Report (LSR). In addition to the hail, two tornadoes were confirmed. One near Blue Springs and another that developed near Wymore. The tornado that developed near Wymore was rated an EF1 that had a path length of approximately 4 miles. It tracked south across the Kansas border before dissipating in the Topeka service area.

Credit: Jason Thavenet


 

June 14, 2022 - Wind Driven Hail

A cluster of supercell thunderstorms moved through the region during the evening of Tuesday June 14 into the early morning hours of June 15. The storms produced widespread wind gusts of 75 to 115 mph, hail up 1 to 3 inches in diameter, and two EF-1 rated tornadoes. The wind and hail combined to cause terrible damage in Seward County. Crops were destroyed to the extent that some fields appeared as if nothing had been planted in them despite being full and green prior to the storm. Numerous homes had their siding and windows completely destroyed and trees were debarked due to the wind driven hail. The hardest hit area was in a 2-to-7-mile wide (north to south) area extending from the York County line through 5 miles east of Seward and running along and south of Highway 34. The storms continued east across south central Nebraska and produced an EF-1 tornado in Cass County and another in Pottawattamie County. You can read more about the tornadoes and the event from the link above.


 

October 23, 2022 - Strong Winds and Grass Fires

A common theme on the year, this day featured strong southerly winds resulted in record warm temperatures and wind gusts above 30 mph for most of the day. Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk all broke their max temperature record. Winds gusted above 30 mph for most of the day with peak wind gusts reported between 40-60 mph. Several grass fires developed across the region, which became difficult to control due to the strong, gusty winds. A mandatory evacuation was ordered for the town of Wisner. Volunteer evacuations were in effect in Lancaster, Gage, and Harrison counties where large grass fires developed and required multiple rural fire departments to get under control.

In addition to grass fires, a single severe storm developed in Boone County, eventually split into 2, and continued into a few counties. The storm produced several gusts above 60 mph with an observed peak gust of 72 mph in Pierce County.

Satellite imagery from 11 am until 6 pm. Grass fires indicated by areas in red.

 

December 21-24 - Dangerously Cold Wind Chills

A southerly descent of the polar jet stream allowed for the polar vortex to plunge south into the continental US bringing blizzard and dangerously cold conditions for millions of people. Wind Chill Warnings were in effect from the Canadian border down to the Gulf of Mexico. Closer to home, a Wind Chill Warning was in effect for the entire forecast area for over 48+ hours. Several locations observed wind chill temperatures of at least -50° (Albion -50°, Fordyce -51°, Hedriw -51°). Almost impossible to confirm, but those wind chills are likely some of the coldest observed ever in the region. Omaha observed its 7th coldest wind chill (-42°) since 1948. The most recent comparable event was February 2021 when air temperatures dropped below -30° at several locations. The coldest air temperature observation for this event was -22° in Fairbury. The combination of the wind and cold temperatures led to conditions that felt colder than even the February 2021 event. The extended period of cold combined with the effects of the drought resulted in an ice jam forming on the Missouri River near Omaha for the first time since 1989. Ice can form more easily on the river when the stage is low, and the flow is slower.

Snowfall amounts mostly underwhelmed with a peak of 3.0” observed near Auburn. Blizzard like conditions were observed in several locations as the wind and snowfall reduced visibility down to a quarter of a mile for an hour or two.

 


 

2022 Climate Extremes

(Data from NWS Cooperative & CocCoRaHs/NeRAIN observers)

Hottest Temperatures

  • 109° Verdel 6SSE - August 3
  • 104° Fremont - June 14
  • 103° Auburn 5ESE - June 13
  • 103° Columbus - June 13
  • 103° Desoto RAWS - August 6
  • 103° Lincoln - June 13 & September 20
  • 103° Table Rock 4N - August 8
  • 103° Tekamah - June 13
  • 103° Wayne - August 2

Coldest Temperatures

  • -22° Fairbury - December 22, 23
  • -21° Fort Calhoun - February 23
  • -20° Verdel 6SSE - February 25, 26
  • -19° Elgin - January 2
  • -19° Oakdale, NE - December 22, 23
  • -18° David City 4E - December 23
  • -18° Hartington - December 22
  • -18° Norfolk - December 22
  • -18° Springfield 7E - December 22
  • -18° Little Sioux 2NW - December 23
  • -18° Mapleton - December 23

Highest Yearly Precipitation

  • 29.51" Brownville 0.2 SW
  • 29.43" Wymore 8.1 SSW
  • 29.23" Auburn 1.1 SW
  • 28.03" Falls City 5.5 NE
  • 27.52" Clarinda
  • 27.33" Cook 3 N
  • 27.20" Little Sioux 2NW
  • 27.03" Omaha 2.9 NW
  • 26.81" Shenandoah
  • 26.60" Nebraska City 5.7 SSW 

Lowest Yearly Precipitation

  • 11.49" Logan 1WNW
  • 11.83" Stanton 7NE
  • 12.35" Wayne
  • 13.27" Norfolk
  • 13.99" Howells
  • 14.05" Columbus
  • 14.08" Norfolk 4W
  • 15.03" Columbus 3NE
  • 15.26" Hartington
  • 15.43" Nickerson 3NE

Highest 24-Hour Rain Totals (From 7 am to 7 am ending on the specified date)

  • 6.25" Humphrey 5.7 SSW - April 29
  • 3.80" Talmage 2.9 ENE Du Bois 7E - April 29
  • 3.75" Brock - April 29
  • 3.70" Cook 3N - April 29
  • 3.58" Royal 2SE - May 30
  • 3.41" Lincoln 8.5 ENE - June 17
  • 3.33" Weeping Water 1.3 ESE - August 16
  • 3.27" Albion - July 4
  • 3.26" Nebraska City 5.7 SSW - June 8
  • 3.25" Randolph 0.4 SSW - July 8

Highest 24-Snowfall Totals (From 7 am to 7 am ending on the specified date) (Only used highest total of closely located stations)

  • 6.5" St. Helena 4.1 SW - December 9
  • 6.0" Tecumseh 1S - January 15
  • 6.0" Falls City 4NE - March 10
  • 5.5" Bloomfield - December 30
  • 5.0" Fairbury 5S - March 10
  • 5.0" Council Bluffs 3.4 NNE - January 15
  • 5.0" Pacific Junction 3.9N - January 15
  • 5.0" Persia 2S - January 15
  • 4.9" Fort Calhoun 4W - January 15
  • 4.8" Underwood - January 15
  • 4.8" Oakland, IA - January 15

Highest Storm-Total Snowfall Totals (highest 1-2 day totals) (Only used highest total of closely located stations)

  • 6.5" St. Helena 4.1 SW - December 9
  • 6.0" Tecumseh 1S - January 15
  • 6.0" Falls City 4NE - March 10
  • 5.7" Verdel 6SSE - December 15
  • 5.5" Bloomfield - December 30
  • 5.0" Fairbury 5S - March 10
  • 5.0" Council Bluffs 3.4 NNE - January 15
  • 5.0" Pacific Junction 3.9N - January 15
  • 5.0" Persia 2S - January 15
  • 4.9" Fort Calhoun 4W - January 15

New (or Tied) Daily Climate Records

Maximum Temperature

Location Date New Record Old Record Year
Norfolk January 18 62 61 1951
Norfolk February 20 66 66 1930
Omaha March 2 79 76 1992
Lincoln March 2 81 79 1904
Lincoln March 20 80 79 1934
Omaha April 12 91 86 1916
Lincoln April 12 91 86 2006
Norfolk April 12 90 85 1908
Omaha May 11 96 93 2000
Omaha May 12 97 93 1956
Omaha June 13 101 101 1952
Lincoln June 13 103 102 1952
Norfolk June 13 102 102 1952
Omaha September 20 99 95 2018
Lincoln September 20 103 96 2016
Norfolk September 20 100 100 1895
Omaha October 23 87 84 1899
Lincoln October 23 89 84 1899
Norfolk October 23 89 87 1927
Omaha November 9 75 73 1999
Lincoln November 9 78 74 1999

 

 

Minimum Temperature

Location Date New Record Old Record Year
Omaha April 26 28 29 1931
Lincoln April 26 25 27 1907
Norfolk April 26 21 25 1907
Lincoln May 22 34 36 1963
Lincoln June 2 42 43 1978
Norfolk June 2 37 38 1910
Norfolk June 28 46 46 1968
Omaha October 18 16 20 1871
Lincoln October 18 18 21 1972
Norfolk October 18 15 18 1972

 

Low Maximum Temperature (Cold high temperatures)

Location Date New Record Old Record Year
Omaha May 2 45 45 1953, 1954
Lincoln May 26 53 56 1992
Norfolk June 20 76 76 1936

 

High Minimum Temperature (Warm low temperatures)

Location Date New Record Old Record Year
Omaha May 11 70 67 1879
Omaha June 13 79 78 1952
Lincoln June 13 78 77 1952
Lincoln June 19 77 77 1936
Norfolk June 19 76 76 2012
Omaha June 20 76 76 1937
Lincoln June 20 78 76 1937
Norfolk June 20 79 74 1989
Lincoln November 9 64 52 1999

 

Maximum Precipitation

Location Date New Record Old Record Year
Norfolk September 18 0.79 0.6 1960

 

Maximum Snowfall

Location Date New Record Old Record Year
NO NEW RECORDS SET OR TIED