Much to my delight, Omaha's Eppley Airfield hit the 90s for the first time this year on Wednesday, May 23rd. It's been 8 months since we were able to enjoy heat like this, last hitting 90 on September 23, 2017.
Wednesday's 92 degrees was so warm, it fell just short of hitting the record high temperature for May 23rd. The record is 93, set back in 2012. Although we didn't set a new record, we still came in well above the average high of 76.
After our long winter, you might be thinking this feels too early to be so warm, but this is very normal. On average, Omaha hits 90 for the first ime on May 21st, just two days earlier than this year's first 90.
What is unique about this year is how long we might stay in the 90s. Stretches of high heat like this don't normally last long in May, but this one looks to turn into a heat wave. Our current forecast shows the high heat continuing through Memorial Day weekend and into the next workweek. If that holds, it would put us as 8 days in a row in the 90s. Last year's longest stretch of 90 or more in Omaha lasted 9 days, starting on July 15th... and WE COULD RIVAL THAT IN MAY!!
(Forecast was made on May 23rd.)
So now that we have the 90s checked off our summer to-do list, lets talk 100s! For starters, we don't see them every year in Omaha. We've only hit 100 degrees or more 16 of the last 30 years. The most recent triple-digit heat was on July 21, 2017.
In the years we do hit 100 or higher, it happens on average for the first time on July 10th. The earliest we ever hit 100 was on May 14th, which happened in 2013. The latest in the year we ever hit 100 was on September 11th, which was back in 1895.
Whether you're a fan of the high heat or not, stay cool and hydrated as best you can!
