If you woke up and stepped outside this morning, you felt that chill in the air. The clear sky, northerly wind, and low humidity led temperatures to drop overnight. For many, we neared our coldest overnight lows on record. Here is an overview of the low temperatures and how close they were to the record.
Recording weather data can be done in two ways. The first is the Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report, or METAR for short. METARs can be found at various airports and record weather data every hour. This is where many cities get their weather data from as METARs are found at most airports.
A second way for weather information can be gathered is from weather stations, these stations are known as Automated Surface Observing Systems or ASOS for short. ASOS stations are used by the National Weather Service, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Defense. This network of weather stations is the most comprehensive across the United States, and is critical for reporting accurate weather data for the country.
The data below uses a mixture of both METAR and ASOS stations, identified at the end of the stat. Some ASOS stations is missing data, and thus are omitted from the list.
NEBRASKA
Beatrice - Beatrice recorded a low of 53, which was two degrees warmer than its record low of 51 set in 2011. (METAR)
Columbus - Columbus recorded a low of 51, which does not break the record of 47 set in 1968. (METAR)
David City - David City was one of the warmer towns, with a low of 52 degrees. The record was a bit far with a low of 45 set in 1968. (ASOS)
Falls City - Falls City was another warmer spot with a low of 54, the record was 50 set in 2017. (METAR)
Fremont - Fremont made it to 50 degrees the the airport, two degrees above the record set in 1926. (METAR)
Lincoln - Lincoln made it close with a low of 50 degrees, one degree above the record set back in 1950. (METAR)
Nebraska City - Nebraska City might be a little too warm, with the official low being 61. The record is 48 set in 1968. (METAR)
Norfolk - Norfolk tied its record low of 46, which was tied in both 1968 and 2017, adding 2022 as the third time the record low was hit. (METAR)
Omaha - The official overnight low at Eppley Airfield was 51, four degrees above the record low of 47 set in 1968. (METAR)
Tekamah - Tekamah came close to the record low of 46 set in 1968, the official low was 47. (METAR)
West Point - West Point made it to 47, three degrees above the record of 44 in 1968. (ASOS)
IOWA
Atlantic - Although the official METAR data is wrong, an ASOS station northeast of town recorded a low of 47, meaning it came within four degrees of breaking the record of 43 set in 1968.
Audubon - Audubon hit a low of 47, which was five degrees above the low of 42 set in 2017. (ASOS)
Carroll - Carroll reached a low of 48 degrees, which is still above the record of 43 degrees set in 1968. (METAR)
Clarinda - The two sources of temperature data in Clarinda differ, with the airport seeing 46 but a weather station at 48. The record for the latter is 47, so it is possible Clarinda broke its record low. (METAR)
Corning - Corning was a warmer spot, reaching a low of 55. The record in Corning was 43 set in 1905. (ASOS)
Oakland - Oakland was also slightly warmer at 54 degrees for its low, with the record being 10 degrees cooler set in 1958. (ASOS)
Red Oak - Red Oak made it to 48 at the airport, which was two degrees above the record of 46 set in 1968. (METAR)
Shenandoah - Shenandoah held onto the 50s overnight bottoming out at 50, the record is 47 set in 1968. (ASOS)
