2026 Weather Thread

stormchaser · Post by **stormchaser** » Thu Mar 05, 2026 9:32 pm

The 00z HRRR has increased the severe weather threat in our local area tomorrow including a threat for tornadoes. I'm not saying it will happen but its certainly increasingly possible that this could be a more substantial severe weather event locally. Just a heads up.

Don't get me wrong, the risk increases to our south - right now from southwest of Lincoln over towards Beatrice up to Nebraska City/Fall City is roughly the area I'll probably target for tornadoes, but still in this area.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Mar 05, 2026 10:00 pm

Starting to get a little lightning out by Ashland and South Bend. That small cell is moving NE towards the metro area.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Thu Mar 05, 2026 10:22 pm

Definitely gonna get a little something in a few minutes. Worth stepping outside for a little bit.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Fri Mar 06, 2026 12:32 am

We got pea sized hail in south Bellevue around 10:30, some was even a little bigger. Been raining pretty good off and on for the past hr or two.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Fri Mar 06, 2026 11:08 am

Well, I dunno. Its all been dependant on where the front is. Being 11am and its at Fremont right now, thats awful close. Though, it looks very slow moving. You can see some cumulus clouds going up in that direction right now.

Yeah, its already colder in Fremont. I just dont see it holding off long enough for us to get anything substantial in Omaha.

stormchaser · Post by **stormchaser** » Fri Mar 06, 2026 12:29 pm

Yeah boundary is pushing into the area faster than depicted so chances of Omaha itself getting hit have definitely decreased.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Fri Mar 06, 2026 11:08 pm

I'm really happy with the amount of rain we got. We should end up with well over a half inch and once the measurements come in, I wouldnt be surprised by over. 75! I'm a very happy camper.

Although that temperature drop off was quite the shock. I just got home, and with the wind and cold hard rain, I'd have to say it was quite miserable. Thankful to be inside and not actually camping lol.

Post by **BRoss** » Sat Mar 07, 2026 12:23 am

Busguy2010 wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2026 11:08 pm We should end up with well over a half inch and once the measurements come in, I wouldnt be surprised by over. 75!

My area out west only got a quarter inch. But I see looking at weather stations around the city that the eastern part of the city did get more. Midtown got around a half inch but north Omaha got around .75".

Post by **Brad** » Wed Mar 11, 2026 8:03 am

Good old Nebraska... One evening I'm out shooting the skyline wearing shorts and when I wake up we have an inch of snow on the ground... LOL

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Mar 11, 2026 8:43 am

Love this graphic from channel 6 from yesterday:

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed Mar 11, 2026 9:15 am

That's a pretty wonky forecast.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Wed Mar 11, 2026 8:25 pm

And next week Monday the high is predicted at 30, and by Friday it will be 80. No wonder people in this part of the world are so schizophrenic.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Thu Mar 12, 2026 8:16 pm

nativeomahan wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 8:25 pm And next week Monday the high is predicted at 30, and by Friday it will be 80. No wonder people in this part of the world are so schizophrenic.

Between that and the extremes are everywhere in the country, regardless if stable.

Its either extreme at the top, the bottom or in between. Little escape lol

stormchaser · Post by **stormchaser** » Fri Mar 13, 2026 3:16 pm

Odds are continuing to increase we could see a blizzard in much of the region including potentially Omaha on Sunday. Winter storm watches have been issued. Right now, significant snowfall looks unlikely but we could get 1-3 inches of snow with 60+ mph winds. Heavy snow should hopefully stay well to our north and east...hopefully.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Fri Mar 13, 2026 9:58 pm

This happened last March 18 if you recall, following a St. Patrick’s Day in the 80s! Howling winds and blinding snow on the 18th, which quickly melted.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Sat Mar 14, 2026 4:56 am

nativeomahan wrote: Fri Mar 13, 2026 9:58 pm This happened last March 18 if you recall, following a St. Patrick’s Day in the 80s! Howling winds and blinding snow on the 18th, which quickly melted.

I think that was the storm with the annoying orange dust mixed in with the snow. I don’t want anymore of that . Minnesota and Wisconsin are going to get hit hard with this storm they are talking 12+ inches and blizzard conditions.

stormchaser · Post by **stormchaser** » Sat Mar 14, 2026 8:49 am

nativeomahan wrote: Fri Mar 13, 2026 9:58 pm This happened last March 18 if you recall, following a St. Patrick’s Day in the 80s! Howling winds and blinding snow on the 18th, which quickly melted.

Yep, Mother Nature’s warning sign this time of year that a big storm is coming. Doesn’t always mean we’ll get hit by it but it almost always means a strong storm system will move through the region anyway.

In this particular case, models have trended up slightly but I’m still thinking 1-3 inches of snow locally with some places closer to 4 inches. The strong wind/visibility issues will be the biggest issue tomorrow.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sat Mar 14, 2026 9:32 am

I’ve seen several forecasts for less than 2 in for us. Maybe it will be one of those storms with a sharp cutoff.

stormchaser · Post by **stormchaser** » Sat Mar 14, 2026 10:19 am

skinzfan23 wrote: Sat Mar 14, 2026 9:32 am I’ve seen several forecasts for less than 2 in for us. Maybe it will be one of those storms with a sharp cutoff.

Yeah, I’m just basing it on the 12z hrrr that came out within the last couple of hours. It trended up with snow totals slightly. Regardless, the wind/blowing snow/poor visibility will be the main issue, even if we only get an inch of snow.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Sat Mar 14, 2026 3:15 pm

Omaha is no longer in a Winter Storm Watch, which I take is a good thing.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Sat Mar 14, 2026 4:43 pm

nativeomahan wrote: Sat Mar 14, 2026 3:15 pm Omaha is no longer in a Winter Storm Watch, which I take is a good thing.

I was also gonna say the NWS pulled back quite a bit today. I still expect it to be very unpleasant wind and cold-wise, but I will probably expect more of much of the same type of snowfall we've predominantly all season. Meh. Non-event.

stormchaser · Post by **stormchaser** » Sun Mar 15, 2026 10:32 am

Busguy2010 wrote: Sat Mar 14, 2026 4:43 pm
nativeomahan wrote: Sat Mar 14, 2026 3:15 pm Omaha is no longer in a Winter Storm Watch, which I take is a good thing.
I was also gonna say the NWS pulled back quite a bit today. I still expect it to be very unpleasant wind and cold-wise, but I will probably expect more of much of the same type of snowfall we've predominantly all season. Meh. Non-event.

To clarify, it was never expected to be a significant snowfall in Omaha. Even the watch specified 1-3 inches of snow which still seems plausible for most (probably an inch maybe 2 in most areas). The wind/blowing snow will be the issue as it falls so to that extent, it will cause some issues, especially in open areas.

Snow should start locally sometime around noon.

Post by **Brad** » Sun Mar 15, 2026 10:38 am

The low tonight is going to be 7 or 8. Will that kill my Tulips and Alliums just for this year or will it kill them permanently?

stormchaser · Post by **stormchaser** » Sun Mar 15, 2026 11:29 am

Brad wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2026 10:38 am The low tonight is going to be 7 or 8. Will that kill my Tulips and Alliums just for this year or will it kill them permanently?

According to Ai:

Tulips:
Tulips have a temperature tolerance limit of around 29°F — a few degrees below that will destroy buds and flowers, and if it actually reaches hard freezing, the whole plant can be damaged. At 7°F, you’re well into that danger zone. The good news is the bulb underground is almost certainly fine. If your tulips are damaged, you’ll likely lose this year’s blooms, but they will continue to store energy in the bulb to return to their regular blooming cycle next year. How much damage depends heavily on how far along they are — if they’re just shoots without buds yet, they’ll fare better than plants with buds forming.

Alliums:
Good news — alliums are actually the most cold-tolerant of your plants. They’re in the onion/garlic family, and that whole genus is remarkably tough.
Ornamental alliums are quite hardy, and gardeners down to zone 3 can successfully grow most varieties with confidence that they will come back every year. Zone 3 bottoms out around -40°F, so the bulbs themselves are essentially bulletproof for your situation.
That said, at 7°F the emerged foliage may take some cosmetic damage. Gardeners recommend covering alliums along with tulips when nighttime temperatures dip into the mid-20s or below, focusing especially on any that are blooming or have flower buds forming. At 7°F you’re well past that threshold, so if yours have visible buds or are further along, covering them tonight is worthwhile.

What you can do tonight:
If you still have time before the temperature drops, covering them is worth it. Draping old bed sheets, towels, or frost cloth over them can make a meaningful difference. The goal is to trap ground heat underneath. Don’t use plastic — it transmits cold rather than insulating. For the tulips, same approach if they have visible buds.

Obviously with the wind, covering them may be nearly impossible.

Post by **Brad** » Sun Mar 15, 2026 12:41 pm

stormchaser wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2026 11:29 am Obviously with the wind, covering them may be nearly impossible.

Yeah, that was my thought. I could get rocks and what not to weigh the blankets down, but at some point, I just feel like taking a year off and enjoy them next year.

stormchaser · Post by **stormchaser** » Sun Mar 15, 2026 5:41 pm

Hearing reports of an ~ 50 car pileup on I-80 by Mahoney and another 20 car pile up at the intersection of 275 and highway 30.

Stay safe out there. The snow is nearly done but the wind and ice is going to cause even more issues as temps plummet.

GenX · Post by **GenX** » Mon Mar 16, 2026 12:21 am

My roomie said he slid straight down the driveway. Said there was black ice everywhere. Stay safe out there!

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Mon Mar 16, 2026 12:36 am

I got home for the night a little bit ago. Man did they fail with road prep. They brined Dodge and 72nd, but thats about it. All the secondary and neighborhood streets were an ice rink. I said it out loud when I was driving earlier when it was still just wet. "Man they better brine this or its gonna be solid ice later". Well, I was right, but I was wrong for assuming they'd be on top of it.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Mon Mar 16, 2026 8:45 am

Don’t think brine would’ve been a smart solution for this one. I drove last night and feel like they could have put some salt down. There have been so many non-snow events lately where they pre treated the roads but nothing for this one. 36th st in Bellevue was a mess and there was a bad accident at 36th and 370 around 6 last night.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Tue Mar 17, 2026 10:44 am

Record high temps are just around the corner. This will soon be forgotten as we are all back grilling out and wearing summer clothes.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Tue Mar 17, 2026 12:05 pm

OmaDome gonna OmaDome

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Tue Mar 17, 2026 12:32 pm

nativeomahan wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 10:44 am Record high temps are just around the corner. This will soon be forgotten as we are all back grilling out and wearing summer clothes.

That'll be the fourth record high to fall this year, with Saturday potentially being the fifth. Wouldn't doubt if this is the warmest start to a year ever, if not, in the conversation.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Thu Mar 19, 2026 11:25 am

cities just to our west are going to come close to 100 degrees on Saturday

The all time record high for all of Nebraska in March is 91, which we are forecast to hit in Omaha. And we're going to be on the "cooler" side, relatively.

That's quite literally some unprecedented stuff.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Thu Mar 19, 2026 12:24 pm

Busguy2010 wrote: Thu Mar 19, 2026 11:25 am cities just to our west are going to come close to 100 degrees on Saturday

The all time record high for all of Nebraska in March is 91, which we are forecast to hit in Omaha. And we're going to be on the "cooler" side, relatively.

That's quite literally some unprecedented stuff.

An alarming start to the year for sure.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Thu Mar 19, 2026 5:47 pm

It’s barely spring! Going from 9f to 90f in a matter of days is beyond concerning. Is this our new normal?

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Fri Mar 20, 2026 2:02 pm

These images show how this past winter season compared with an “average” winter in locations across the contiguous 48 states. You will note that essentially every single location west from the Great Plains experienced a noticebly warmer winter season as compared to historic weather averages. The Great Lakes and Northeastern US was pretty much just the opposite.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 2:22 pm

I don’t remember a March day in Omaha ever being this hot. I know we’ve hit 100 in May before but not low 90’s in late March, crazy weather.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 3:40 pm

According to Accuweather, we are at 12% humidity and dropping.

Now at 10%
Reached 9%
Now 8% (I took two screenshots, I just had to. How many people will believe this number lol)

I dont know what the official number will be, though it'll be close. Im genuinely very curious to see how low it'll go.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 4:59 pm

Viva Las Vegas!

This is some bull |expletive| lol

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 5:20 pm

Busguy2010 wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 4:59 pm Viva Las Vegas!

This is some bull |expletive| lol

No joke. The lowest i saw the relative humidity while living in Vegas was 12%. Most of the time it was in the 20% to 35% range.

Im sure they now drop below 10% regularly in this new climate era.

Wild to think the lowest humidity ive probably experienced was in Omaha, despite living in vegas.