As is typical of the late-fall season in south central Nebraska, Thanksgiving weather conditions can vary dramatically from one year to the next. (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND — Central Nebraska has seen a wide range of weather over the Thanksgiving holiday. The National Weather Service – Hastings notes the extremes of temperature, precipitation and a 2022 recap.
Since 1942, Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, thus ranging in date from Nov. 22-28, prior to 1942, it was often observed on the last Thursday of November.
As is typical of the late-fall season in south central Nebraska, Thanksgiving weather conditions can vary dramatically from one year to the next. Just in the last 30 years, high temperatures in Grand Island have ranged from 16 to 72 degrees, and lows have ranged from 1 to 39 degrees.
This story features a wealth of Thanksgiving weather and climate information focused specifically on Grand Island, where November records date back 128 years to 1895.
Temperatures: According to the entire period of record, the warmest Thanksgiving occurred just six years ago in 2017 with a balmy high of 72 degrees, while the coldest low temperature was a frigid minus two degrees in 1938. Only 16-of-128 Thanksgivings on record, 13 percent, have featured high temperatures of 60 degrees-or-warmer, but half of them have occurred within the last 26 years.
However, there have also been plenty of legitimately cold Thanksgivings in recent years, including four years ago in 2019 and four-consecutive ones from 2013-2016 that failed to reach 40 degrees. As for truly bone-chilling cold, Thanksgivings in 1985, high 14 degrees and low three degrees and 1993, high of 16 degrees and low one degree, stand out among the most frigid of the last several decades.
Precipitation/Snowfall: As for liquid precipitation equivalent, which includes any melted snowfall, measurable amounts of 0.01 inches-or-more have occurred in 19-of-128 years, or only 15 percent of the time. In the last 29 years, measurable precipitation has only fallen twice, 2019 and 2015.
Measurable Thanksgiving snow, at least 0.1 inch, has been quite rare on the holiday itself, with only 10 instances on record, including four years ago. The 3.2 inches that fell eight years ago in 2015 was the third snowiest Thanksgiving on record, falling slightly short of the 4.0 inches measured in 1931 and 1919.
However, when including the entire “Thanksgiving weekend” as part of the holiday, 1983 certainly stands out: while Thanksgiving itself on the 24th was seasonable and dry, a significant snowfall of 13.6 inches piled up between Nov. 26-27, Saturday, and Sunday.
2022 Thanksgiving Recap: Officially, it was a slightly-warmer-than-normal Thanksgiving, with an afternoon high of 53 degrees and a calendar day low of 26 degrees that occurred just prior to midnight, the early morning low was 27 degrees.
Despite the relatively mild temperatures and plentiful sunshine, following some early morning clouds, it really wasn’t a great weather day thanks to being somewhat windy out of the north-northwest, as sustained speeds averaged 15-25 mph with gusts commonly 25-35 mph.