Dry, hot stretch after “cooler” few days

It’s been a record-breaking week! Not only did we set new high temperature records with the heat wave this past week, but on Saturday, we set a new record for rainfall on August 26th. For the month and since June 1, we’re above average.

And we’ve managed to cut into the deficit, too. For the year, we’re just under 3″ below average, matching the deficit we had back in early May – before we saw the very dry period through May and June.

Will we see rain on Monday? For most of us, the answer is no. Spotty showers are possible into the afternoon as a weak boundary comes through. The best chance to see any of these showers looks to be off to our west through central and south-central Nebraska, if that.

Beyond Monday, we’ll be dry for some time. Extended outlooks through the end of August into early September show better chances of being below average for precipitation.

Temperature-wise, we may be gearing up for another heat dome. The Climate Prediction Center shows good chances (80-90%) that we will experience temperatures above average through early September. Record-breaking? Probably not. At least for the first couple days of the month, records are near 106°. We shouldn’t be nearing those.

That being said, it’s looking more and more like we aren’t done with 100-degree days just yet.

Another component that will help warm us up more and more will be the wind. Wind gusts by the end of the week will be gusting closer to 20-25 mph out of the southwest. Winds will be light through the first half of the week.

In terms of the bigger sporting events we’ll have going on this week, weather looks great for Volleyball Day at Memorial Stadium. Past that, we’ll see 90s return to the forecast on Thursday. Then, we’ll need to keep an eye on the end of the week with high school sports, as recent trends are pushing temperatures to the 100° mark once again.

For now, temperatures will be right around (if not slightly above) where we should be at the end of August. And hot weather through early September is not uncommon to see, so we’ll keep you posted as we get closer.

Meteorologist Jessica Blum 
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