Nebraska, 2023

Excessive Heat in Nebraska, July 25 to 28, 2023

July 25 to 28, 2023 · NWS FSD · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Strong high pressure and elevated near surface moisture resulted in a multi-day heat wave across southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, and northeast Nebraska from July 25-28. With air temperatures rising into the 90s and low 100s and dewpoint temperatures in the 70s and low 80s, afternoon and evening heat indices generally peaked from 100 to 120 degrees with little…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS FSD wrote it up.

Strong high pressure and elevated near surface moisture resulted in a multi-day heat wave across southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, and northeast Nebraska from July 25-28. With air temperatures rising into the 90s and low 100s and dewpoint temperatures in the 70s and low 80s, afternoon and evening heat indices generally peaked from 100 to 120 degrees with little overnight recovery. The most widespread opressive conditions occurred during the afternoons and evenings of July 26 and July 27.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 25, 5:31 AM CST, 4 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 5:31 AM CST, 4 hours 29 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 25, 3:52 AM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
452 AM CDT Tue Jul 25 2023

IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-
098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-052>056-058>062-064>071-261000-
Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee-
Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-
Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-Jerauld-
Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Aurora-Davison-Hanson-McCook-Minnehaha-
Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton-Union-
452 AM CDT Tue Jul 25 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central
Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, central South
Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and
southeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

There is a chance for some strong to severe thunderstorms to begin
late Tuesday afternoon and continue through the evening. Storms will
move from the northwest to the southeast beginning around Huron and
continuing through Sioux City. These storms are most likely to begin
as scattered thunderstorms capable of producing hail 1.5 to 2 inches,
and damaging wind gusts. As they progress, the threat will
transition from hail to strong wind gusts 60 to 65 mph.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Heat continues across the region Thursday. Heat indices may top 100
degrees, in localized areas through the Missouri River Valley on
Tuesday, then becoming more widespread by Wednesday and Thursday.
Prepare now to ensure you are ready for the combination of dangerous
heat and humidity.

There is a chance of thunderstorms Thursday night. While the risk of
severe weather is low, a few stronger storms are possible, with hail
and gusty winds as the primary threats.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

SDZ050-057-063-261000-
Gregory-Brule-Charles Mix-
452 AM CDT Tue Jul 25 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Highs in the mid to upper 90s coupled with dew points in the upper
60s to 70s will result in heat indexes breaching 100F. Prepare now to
ensure you are ready for the combination of dangerous heat and
humidity.

There is a chance for some strong to severe thunderstorms to begin
late Tuesday afternoon and continue through the evening. Storms will
move from the northwest to the southeast. These storms are most
likely to begin as scattered thunderstorms capable of producing hail
1.5 to 2 inches, and damaging wind gusts.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Heat continues across the region Thursday. Heat indices may top 100
degrees, in localized areas through the Missouri River Valley on
Tuesday, then becoming more widespread by Wednesday and Thursday.
Prepare now to ensure you are ready for the combination of dangerous
heat and humidity.

There is a chance of thunderstorms again Thursday night. While the
risk of severe weather is low, a few stronger storms are possible,
with hail and gusty winds as the primary threats.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Dakota

When
July 25, 10:00 AM CST to July 28, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Dakota forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
42.391, -96.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Daily afternoon and evening heat indices ranged from 100 to 120 degrees with a maximum heat index of 120 degrees at the nearby Iowa Department of Transportation site near Moville on July 27 and July 28.

Excessive Heat, Dixon

When
July 26, 10:00 AM CST to July 28, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Dixon forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
42.493, -96.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Daily afternoon and evening heat indices ranged from 100 to 111 degrees with a maximum heat index of 111 degrees at the Nebraska mesonet site near Concord on July 26 and July 27.

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, July 2023

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1128535, 1128539.