Current weather · Sep 30, 1:54 PM CDT

41.4530, -97.2530

67°

Moderate rain showers likelyFeels like 67° · Humidity 100%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Omaha/Valley, NE · grid 38,69
High
69°
Low
61°
Rain today
90%
Sunrise
7:25 AM
Sunset
7:12 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Wed 1 PMModerate rain showers likely67°67°67°100%63%0.05 inENE3 mph8 mph91%9%—5 mi900 ft
Wed 2 PMModerate rain showers68°68°68°100%86%0.05 inENE5 mph8 mph91%9%—5 mi1,200 ft
Wed 3 PMModerate rain showers68°68°68°100%84%0.05 inE5 mph9 mph88%9%—4 mi1,100 ft
Wed 4 PMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms69°69°69°100%83%0.05 inENE5 mph9 mph91%12%—2.7 mi900 ft
Wed 5 PMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms68°68°68°100%87%0.05 inENE5 mph9 mph90%12%—3 mi1,300 ft
Wed 6 PMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms68°68°68°100%90%0.05 inENE5 mph9 mph90%12%—2.8 mi700 ft
Wed 7 PMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°67°100%90%0.07 inENE5 mph8 mph87%23%—2.7 mi700 ft
Wed 8 PMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms66°66°66°100%79%0.07 inNE6 mph9 mph92%23%—2.6 mi1,300 ft
Wed 9 PMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms66°66°66°100%73%0.07 inNE6 mph10 mph91%23%—2.8 mi1,100 ft
Wed 10 PMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%66%0.07 inNE6 mph10 mph87%22%—3 mi1,000 ft
Wed 11 PMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%60%0.07 inNNE7 mph12 mph88%22%—3 mi800 ft
Thu 12 AMChance of moderate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms64°64°64°100%46%0.07 inNNE6 mph12 mph85%22%—7 mi1,500 ft
Thu 1 AMChance of moderate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms64°64°64°100%33%0.03 inNNE6 mph12 mph91%18%—7 mi1,300 ft
Thu 2 AMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms64°64°64°100%28%0.03 inNNE7 mph12 mph91%18%—7 mi1,400 ft
Thu 3 AMSlight chance of thunderstorms and slight chance of light rain showers63°63°63°100%24%0.03 inNNE7 mph13 mph84%18%—7 mi2,100 ft
Thu 4 AMSlight chance of light rain showers63°63°63°100%19%0.03 inN8 mph14 mph80%9%—7 mi2,000 ft
Thu 5 AMSlight chance of light rain showers63°63°62°97%16%0.03 inN8 mph15 mph80%9%—7 mi2,300 ft
Thu 6 AM61°61°61°100%13%0.03 inN9 mph16 mph72%9%—7 mi2,700 ft
Thu 7 AM61°61°61°100%13%0.00 inN9 mph18 mph83%3%—7 mi1,200 ft
Thu 8 AM61°61°61°100%13%0.00 inN12 mph20 mph93%3%—7 mi3,700 ft
Thu 9 AM60°60°60°100%9%0.00 inN13 mph22 mph83%—8 mi2,700 ft
Thu 10 AM62°62°60°93%6%0.00 inNNE14 mph23 mph78%—10 mi4,400 ft
Thu 11 AM62°62°59°90%4%0.00 inNNE14 mph24 mph84%—10 mi10,400 ft
Thu 12 PM62°62°59°90%5%0.00 inNNE15 mph24 mph71%1%—10 mi16,400 ft
Thu 1 PM62°62°58°87%3%0.01 inNNE14 mph24 mph70%1%—10 mi22,400 ft
Thu 2 PM62°62°58°87%3%0.01 inNNE15 mph24 mph61%1%—10 mi22,900 ft
Thu 3 PM64°64°57°78%3%0.01 inNNE14 mph23 mph66%—10 mi23,300 ft
Thu 4 PM63°63°56°78%2%0.01 inNNE13 mph22 mph74%—10 mi23,800 ft
Thu 5 PM62°62°55°78%2%0.01 inNNE12 mph21 mph58%—10 mi24,200 ft
Thu 6 PM62°62°55°78%2%0.01 inNNE10 mph18 mph63%—10 mi24,600 ft
Thu 7 PM59°59°53°80%1%N8 mph17 mph34%—10 mi
Thu 8 PM58°58°52°80%1%NNE8 mph15 mph38%—10 mi
Thu 9 PM57°57°51°80%0%NNE7 mph14 mph25%—10 mi
Thu 10 PM55°55°49°80%0%N6 mph13 mph9%—10 mi
Thu 11 PM54°54°48°80%0%NNE6 mph12 mph2%——
Fri 12 AM54°54°48°80%1%N5 mph9 mph27%——
Fri 1 AM53°53°47°80%0%N5 mph8 mph20%——
Fri 2 AM52°52°46°80%0%N5 mph8 mph17%——
Fri 3 AM51°51°45°80%0%NNE5 mph8 mph14%——
Fri 4 AM49°47°44°83%0%NNE5 mph8 mph11%——
Fri 5 AM48°46°43°83%0%NNE5 mph8 mph12%——
Fri 6 AM47°46°42°83%0%NNE3 mph8 mph13%——
Fri 7 AM47°46°42°83%0%NNE3 mph8 mph14%——
Fri 8 AM49°48°43°80%0%NNE3 mph8 mph11%——
Fri 9 AM51°51°44°77%0%NE5 mph9 mph7%——
Fri 10 AM54°54°45°71%0%NE5 mph9 mph4%——
Fri 11 AM56°56°45°66%0%ENE5 mph9 mph4%——
Fri 12 PM58°58°46°64%0%E6 mph10 mph3%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Sep 30, 11:26 AM CDT to day 8, the National Blend of Models to day 11, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodaySep 3069°61°Showers And Thunderstorms90%0.70 inwind 7 mph
  2. ThuOct 164°47°Mostly Cloudy46%0.32 inwind 15 mph · gusts 24 mph
  3. FriOct 262°47°Sunny1%wind 6 mph
  4. SatOct 367°51°Sunny0%wind 9 mph · gusts 15 mph
  5. SunOct 464°48°Sunny1%wind 7 mph · gusts 13 mph
  6. MonOct 564°53°Sunny1%wind 12 mph · gusts 20 mph
  7. TueOct 669°57°Mostly Sunny4%wind 14 mph · gusts 23 mph
  8. WedOct 772°57°3%wind 6 mph
  9. ThuOct 872°57°National Blend3%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  10. FriOct 969°55°National Blend2%wind 8 mph · gusts 15 mph
  11. SatOct 1069°52°National Blend5%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  12. SunOct 11~62°52°Model mean
  13. MonOct 12~62°45°Model mean0.01 in
  14. TueOct 13~63°48°Model mean
  15. WedOct 14~61°47°Model mean
  16. ThuOct 15~63°46°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like67°
  • WindENE 3 mphgusts 8 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity100%
  • Dew point67°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility5 mi
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset
  • Moonrise9:16 PMMoonset 12:14 PM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous82% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Sep 30, 7:00 AM CDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodaySep 3070°59°NWS grid 69° / 61°rain 96%thunder 29%wind 6 mph
  2. ThuOct 164°47°NWS grid 64° / 47°rain 39%thunder 15%0.09 inwind 14 mph · gusts 23 mph
  3. FriOct 262°48°NWS grid 62° / 47°rain 0%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  4. SatOct 368°52°NWS grid 67° / 51°rain 1%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  5. SunOct 466°49°NWS grid 64° / 48°rain 1%wind 8 mph · gusts 14 mph
  6. MonOct 563°54°NWS grid 64° / 53°rain 2%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  7. TueOct 669°58°NWS grid 69° / 57°rain 9%thunder 19%wind 14 mph · gusts 24 mph
  8. WedOct 773°57°NWS grid 72° / 57°rain 4%thunder 11%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  9. ThuOct 872°57°Beyond the NWS gridrain 3%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  10. FriOct 969°55°Beyond the NWS gridrain 2%wind 8 mph · gusts 15 mph
  11. SatOct 1069°52°Beyond the NWS gridrain 5%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
41°59°77°ThuFriSatSunMonTueWed

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Sep 30, 7:00 AM CDT · GFS Sep 30, 7:00 AM CDT · GEFS Sep 30, 7:00 AM CDT · ECMWF Sep 29, 7:00 PM CDT · ECMWF AI Sep 30, 7:00 AM CDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

41°64°86°ThuFriSatSunMonTueWed

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Sep 3069° 61°0.70 in73° 66°0.78 in70° 63°0.86 in71° 63°0.93 in71° 65°1.32 in~71° 66°1.33 in
Thu Oct 164° 47°0.32 in67° 51°0.13 in68° 56°66° 56°0.04 in69° 58°0.19 in~66° 62°0.08 in
Fri Oct 262° 47°50° 46°65° 49°65° 49°62° 50°~64° 46°
Sat Oct 367° 51°—72° 48°71° 49°70° 49°~70° 49°
Sun Oct 464° 48°—67° 54°67° 54°71° 54°~71° 52°
Mon Oct 564° 53°—64° 49°63° 49°68° 50°~71° 47°
Tue Oct 669° 57°—75° 52°70° 52°0.07 in~74° 61°~78° 58°
Wed Oct 772° 57°—69° 54°73° 56°~78° 60°~68° 53°
Thu Oct 8——76° 51°75° 54°~72° 52°0.18 in~73° 47°
Fri Oct 9——83° 62°78° 57°~75° 60°0.12 in~78° 49°
Sat Oct 10——~79° 64°~64° 60°~78° 55°~68° 57°
Sun Oct 11——~66° 56°—~75° 62°~46° 38°0.02 in
Mon Oct 12——~72° 52°—~62° 54°0.03 in~52° 31°
Tue Oct 13——~76° 59°—~53° 47°~61° 37°
Wed Oct 14——~56° 50°—~38° 35°~65° 44°
Thu Oct 15——~63° 46°——~47° 42°

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Columbus Municipal (OLU) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Thu Oct 15, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature lean33%40%40%warmer 33% · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct to Dec-20°0°20°40°60°80°100°TodayOct 1Nov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normal

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Sep 3071° / 47°96° (1938)20° (1935)33% chance above normal · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct 2026
Oct 765° / 43°94° (2015)18° (2000)40% chance above normal · days 8 to 1440% chance below normal · days 8 to 14
Oct 1463° / 41°92° (1947)15° (1972)33% chance above normal · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct 2026
Oct 2157° / 37°90° (1940)6° (1925)33% chance above normal · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct 2026
Oct 2853° / 34°90° (1937)1° (1991)33% chance above normal · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct 2026
Nov 452° / 30°85° (1945)-4° (1991)33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 1148° / 30°78° (1999)-7° (1940)33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 1845° / 25°78° (1930)-4° (1898)33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 2542° / 23°79° (1960)-14° (1964)33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 238° / 19°78° (1939)-13° (1978)33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 938° / 19°71° (1921)-24° (1919)33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 1634° / 17°69° (1939)-24° (1983)33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 2335° / 17°63° (1922)-25° (1916)33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Common coldtodayLowmild
  • FlutodayLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstodayLowmild
  • SunburntodayLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night

Outdoors

  • RunningtodayPoorchance of rain
  • HikingtodayFairchance of rain
  • BikingtodayFairchance of rain
  • GolftodayFairchance of rain
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayVery goodthunderstorms
  • Beach and pooltodayPoorchance of rain
  • CampingtonightPoorrain overnight
  • StargazingtonightPoorovercast

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hGoodchance of rain

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayFairchance of rain
  • GardeningtodayFairchance of rain
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayPoorchance of rain
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayPoorchance of rain
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayPoorchance of rain
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayVery highwarm
  • TickstodayVery highwarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
  • Outdoor peststodayHighhumid

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated poor.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
WednesdayPoor8:44 PM to 5:54 AM0 of 9None79%9 h8 mph
ThursdayFair8:43 PM to 5:55 AM7 of 9None70%Fair7 mph
FridayFair8:41 PM to 5:56 AM9 of 92 h from 9:00 PM60%Poor4 h3 mph
SaturdayGood8:39 PM to 5:57 AM9 of 93 h from 9:00 PM49%Poor9 h3 mph
SundayGood8:37 PM to 5:58 AM9 of 95 h from 9:00 PM39%Poor8 h2 mph
MondayPoor8:36 PM to 5:59 AM0 of 9None29%2 h10 mph
TuesdayPoor8:34 PM to 6:00 AM0 of 9None20%9 h6 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Wed6:57 AM to 7:08 AM7:08 AM to 8:02 AM6:36 PM to 7:29 PM7:29 PM to 7:40 PM
Thu6:58 AM to 7:09 AM7:09 AM to 8:03 AM6:34 PM to 7:27 PM7:27 PM to 7:38 PM
Fri6:59 AM to 7:10 AM7:10 AM to 8:04 AM6:32 PM to 7:26 PM7:26 PM to 7:36 PM
Sat7:00 AM to 7:11 AM7:11 AM to 8:05 AM6:30 PM to 7:24 PM7:24 PM to 7:35 PM
Sun7:01 AM to 7:12 AM7:12 AM to 8:06 AM6:29 PM to 7:22 PM7:22 PM to 7:33 PM
Mon7:03 AM to 7:13 AM7:13 AM to 8:07 AM6:27 PM to 7:21 PM7:21 PM to 7:31 PM
Tue7:04 AM to 7:14 AM7:14 AM to 8:08 AM6:25 PM to 7:19 PM7:19 PM to 7:30 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 7:25 AM, 93° E
  • SS Sunset 7:12 PM, 267° W
  • MR Moonrise 9:16 PM, 54° NE
  • MS Moonset 12:14 PM, 304° NW
  • Waning gibbous, 82% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: no-fly (chance of rain). Next good stretch: Fri 8 AM to 7 PM, 11 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:55 AM to sunrise 7:25 AM, and sunset 7:12 PM to 7:42 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Wed6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Fri12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Wed 1 PMNo-fly351063%5 mi400 ft67°chance of rain
Wed 2 PMNo-fly571086%5 mi400 ft68°chance of rain
Wed 3 PMNo-fly571184%3.6 mi400 ft68°chance of rain
Wed 4 PMNo-fly571183%2.7 mi400 ft69°chance of rain, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), thunderstorms possible
Wed 5 PMNo-fly571187%3.1 mi400 ft68°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible
Wed 6 PMNo-fly571190%2.8 miup to 200 ft68°chance of rain, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), thunderstorms possible, low cloud limits height (107.51)
Wed 7 PMNo-fly571090%2.7 miup to 200 ft67°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 8 PMNo-fly681279%2.5 mi400 ft66°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 9 PMNo-fly681373%2.8 mi400 ft66°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 10 PMNo-fly681366%3.3 mi400 ft65°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 11 PMNo-fly7101560%3.0 miup to 300 ft65°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 12 AMNo-fly681446%7 mi400 ft64°thunderstorms possible, chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 1 AMCaution681433%7 mi400 ft64°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 2 AMCaution7101528%7 mi400 ft64°thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 3 AMCaution7101624%7 mi400 ft63°thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 4 AMCaution8121719%7 mi400 ft63°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 5 AMCaution8121916%7 mi400 ft63°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 6 AMCaution9132013%7 mi400 ft61°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 7 AMCaution9132313%7 mi400 ft61°gusts near or over your limit, civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Thu 8 AMNo-fly12172513%7 mi400 ft61°gusts near or over your limit
Thu 9 AMNo-fly1318289%8 mi400 ft60°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit
Thu 10 AMNo-fly1420296%10 mi400 ft62°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit
Thu 11 AMNo-fly1420304%10 mi400 ft62°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit
Thu 12 PMNo-fly1522315%10 mi400 ft62°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Thu 8 PM to Fri 4 AM 8 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Fri 8 AM to 10 PM 14 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 11 AM to 7 PM 8 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sun 12 PM to 9 PM 9 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Wed 2 PM to 4 PM 2 hours, every hour within the rules
Wed6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Fri12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sat12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
WednesdayWet90%0.70 in100%5 mph
ThursdayWet13%0.32 in78%15 mph
FridayDry0%0.00 in58%6 mph6 d
SaturdayDry0%0.00 in70%9 mph5 d
SundayDry1%0.00 in65%7 mph4 d
MondayDry1%0.00 in72%12 mph3 d
TuesdayDry4%0.00 in81%14 mph2 d
WednesdayDry3%0.00 in79%6 mph1 d

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Thursday, rated fair.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Wed Poor3:18 AM to 5:18 AM3:48 PM to 5:48 PM11:44 AM to 12:44 PM8:46 PM to 9:46 PM 82%7:25 AM, 7:12 PM
Thu Fair4:18 AM to 6:18 AM4:49 PM to 6:49 PM12:57 PM to 1:57 PM9:40 PM to 10:40 PM 73%7:26 AM, 7:11 PM
Fri Fair5:21 AM to 7:21 AM5:52 PM to 7:52 PM2:02 PM to 3:02 PM10:44 PM to 11:44 PM 64%7:27 AM, 7:09 PM
Sat Fair6:23 AM to 8:23 AM6:54 PM to 8:54 PM2:56 PM to 3:56 PM 53%7:28 AM, 7:07 PM
Sun Fair7:23 AM to 9:23 AM7:52 PM to 9:52 PM11:57 PM to 12:57 AM3:38 PM to 4:38 PM 43%7:29 AM, 7:06 PM
Mon Fair8:19 AM to 10:19 AM8:45 PM to 10:45 PM1:13 AM to 2:13 AM4:12 PM to 5:12 PM 32%7:30 AM, 7:04 PM
Tue Poor9:11 AM to 11:11 AM9:35 PM to 11:35 PM2:28 AM to 3:28 AM4:39 PM to 5:39 PM 23%7:31 AM, 7:02 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. This Afternoon69° · 87% · ENE 5 mph

    Rain showers before 4pm, then showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 69. East northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

  2. Tonight59° · 90% · NNE 5–8 mph

    Showers and thunderstorms before 3am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy. Low around 59, with temperatures rising to around 63 overnight. North northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

  3. Thursday64° · 13% · NNE 9–15 mph

    Mostly cloudy. High near 64, with temperatures falling to around 62 in the afternoon. North northeast wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

  4. Thursday Night47° · 2% · NNE 5–10 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 47. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

  5. Friday62° · ENE 6 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 62. East northeast wind around 6 mph.

  6. Friday Night47° · SE 5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

  7. Saturday67° · SSW 3–9 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 67. South southwest wind 3 to 9 mph.

  8. Saturday Night51° · 1% · WNW 3 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 51. West northwest wind around 3 mph.

  9. Sunday64° · 1% · NNE 7 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 64. North northeast wind around 7 mph.

  10. Sunday Night48° · 1% · E 5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 48. East wind around 5 mph.

  11. Monday64° · 1% · SSE 2–12 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 64. South southeast wind 2 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

  12. Monday Night53° · 3% · SSE 10 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 53. South southeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

  13. Tuesday69° · 4% · S 10–14 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. South wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

  14. Tuesday Night57° · 3% · SSW 5–8 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Omaha/Valley, NE · issued Sep 30, 1:34 PM CDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

KEY Messages

A Flood Watch remains in effect for widespread 2"-4" of heavy rain, with locally higher amounts possible.

A couple strong to severe storms will be possible this evening, capable of producing damaging winds and tornadoes.

Cooler, dry conditions through the weekend with temperatures trending back warmer next week.

Discussion

126 PM CDT Wed Sep 30 2026

Today through Thursday...

Gulf moisture, surging into the region ahead of the remnants of Hurricane Polo, crashed into a stalled frontal boundary, bisecting the forecast area. This interaction brought a steady rainfall to locations along and south of I-80 last night. By 7 AM, amounts had ranged from around 0.25" up to a max of 1"-2" from Lincoln to Omaha, and 1"-3" over the corners of far southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

We saw a brief break in precip this morning, before the second wave developed with increasing low level convergence as the warm front associated with the land-fallen hurricane lifts north. The 18Z OAX sounding PWAT reached 2.08". This not only beats the daily max of 1.69, but is also the highest recorded PWAT to date, outside of the range from June 24th-August 23rd. Deep warm cloud layers, around 12,000 ft, within skinny, well saturated soundings confirm efficient heavy rain producing showers and storms can be expected through the afternoon and evening hours, as Polo's remnants surge northeast toward Kansas. Some locations receiving repeated rounds of heavy rainfall could see flash flooding, especially this evening and overnight.

While cloud cover may stifle potential energy development this afternoon, the warm front lifting north may bring just enough instability to produce deeper, potentially severe, convection. A decently strong LLJ will nose into the region this evening, bringing around 40kts of deep layer sheer. Spin associated with Polo will help curve hodographs across southeast Nebraska. This suggests that if a strong storm or two are able to develop, damaging winds and a tornadoes would be possible this evening.

Rain will likely continue through the overnight hours and into early Thursday, before pushing south and east of the forecast area. When all is said and done, widespread rainfall amounts of 2"-4" look likely across southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa, with a narrow band of locally higher amounts, closer to 5"-6"+ possible. Significant rises on rivers in southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa look likely, with a few already forecast to reach minor flood stage.

Friday and Beyond...

For those who are sick and tired of all of this rain, we have some good news for you - cooler and drier weather is on the way! Temperatures will dip into the 60s Friday through the weekend, with dry northwesterly flow overspreading the region. A ridge building over the southwestern CONUS will shift eastward by the middle of next week, bumping temperatures back into the 70s. There's a slight chance for a few showers popping up in the northwesterly flow by mid to late week, however widespread rain chances look nil for the foreseeable future.

Aviation · 18Z TAFs Through 18Z Thursday

126 PM CDT Wed Sep 30 2026

MVFR to IFR conditions are expected to persist through the majority of the TAF period. Widespread rainfall will continue to move through this evening and overnight. While a few rumbles of thunder may be possible between now and 00Z this evening, the better chance for a few strong to severe storms will be between 00-08Z tonight at KOMA and KLNK. Rain will end from southwest to northeast early Tuesday, with conditions improving to VFR toward the end of this TAF period.

OAX Watches / Warnings / Advisories

NE...Flood Watch through Thursday evening for NEZ044-045-050>053- 065>068-078-088>093. IA...Flood Watch through Thursday evening for IAZ055-056-069-079- 080-090-091.

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Wed Sep 30General Thunderstorms Risk
  2. Day 2 · Thu Oct 1No risk area
  3. Day 3 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Sat Oct 3No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Sun Oct 4No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Mon Oct 5No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Tue Oct 6No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Wed Oct 7No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Wed Sep 300.50 in
  2. Day 2 · Thu Oct 1Under 0.01 in
  3. Day 3 · Fri Oct 2Under 0.01 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Oct 3–Oct 4Under 0.01 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 5–Oct 60.01 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Flash flood risk

  1. Day 1 · Wed Sep 30Slight
  2. Day 2 · Thu Oct 1Below marginal
  3. Day 3 · Fri Oct 2Below marginal
  4. Day 4 · Sat Oct 3Below marginal
  5. Day 5 · Sun Oct 4Below marginal

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · Temperature40% chance above normalOct 5–Oct 9
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation50% chance below normalOct 5–Oct 9
  3. Days 8–14 · Temperature40% chance above normalOct 7–Oct 13
  4. Days 8–14 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 7–Oct 13

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Columbus 3 Ne

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around April 21 and the first fall freeze around October 15: a growing season of about 174 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by September 30; one spring in ten still has one after May 5.

Climate of 41.45, -97.25: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 27 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementWedThuFriSatSunMonTueWed
Wet bulb globe temperature max69°64°59°64°62°61°67°71°
Heat index max71°
Wind chill min46°46°48°
Chance of thunder max23%22%0%0%1%1%4%3%
Cloud ceiling min200 ft1,200 ft
Visibility min1.0 mi7 mi
Mixing height max1,600 ft2,200 ft
Transport wind max13 mph20 mph
Twenty-foot wind max5 mph12 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Columbus Municipal (OLU) · 4.7 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Wed Sep 3069° / 61°76° / 50°95° (1952)28° (1895)
Thu Oct 164° / 47°73° / 48°93° (1963)28° (1985)
Fri Oct 262° / 47°69° / 47°92° (1938)26° (1974)
Sat Oct 367° / 51°71° / 47°96° (1938)29° (1950)
Sun Oct 464° / 48°67° / 45°95° (1938)25° (1935)
Mon Oct 564° / 53°68° / 47°94° (1947)26° (1932)
Tue Oct 669° / 57°67° / 46°91° (1963)20° (1935)
Wed Oct 772° / 57°69° / 45°90° (1916)22° (1952)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Wed6:57 AM7:25 AM7:12 PM7:40 PM11 h 47 min Waning gibbous · 82% lit
Thu6:58 AM7:26 AM7:11 PM7:38 PM11 h 45 min Waning gibbous · 73% lit
Fri6:59 AM7:27 AM7:09 PM7:36 PM11 h 42 min Waning gibbous · 64% lit
Sat7:00 AM7:28 AM7:07 PM7:35 PM11 h 39 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun7:01 AM7:29 AM7:06 PM7:33 PM11 h 37 min Last quarter · 43% lit
Mon7:03 AM7:30 AM7:04 PM7:31 PM11 h 34 min Waning crescent · 32% lit
Tue7:04 AM7:31 AM7:02 PM7:30 PM11 h 31 min Waning crescent · 23% lit
Wed7:05 AM7:32 AM7:01 PM7:28 PM11 h 29 min Waning crescent · 15% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from