Weather
Nebraska Weather: Warm September Makes Top 6
Grand Island, NE – September 2026 ranked among the six warmest Septembers on record in both Grand Island and Hastings, with unusually warm nights helping lift monthly averages.
By Jenna Hartley · 2026-10-01T21:17:48.431Z
Grand Island, NE – September 2026 ranked among the six warmest Septembers on record in both Grand Island and Hastings, with unusually warm nights helping lift monthly averages.
According to the National Weather Service in Hastings, Grand Island recorded an overall average temperature of 71.5 degrees for September, making it the sixth warmest September in the city's temperature record, which dates to 1896. The month averaged 4.9 degrees above normal.
Grand Island's average high was 80.1 degrees, while its average low was 62.9 degrees. That average low was the warmest on record for September, according to the weather service.
The warmest September on record at Grand Island remains 1931, when the overall average temperature reached 75.4 degrees. September 2026 finished just below 1998, which averaged 71.6 degrees.
Hastings also experienced one of its warmest Septembers. The city's overall monthly average of 72.0 degrees tied September 1940 for fifth warmest on record. September 2026 averaged 5.6 degrees above normal.
Hastings had an average high of 80.5 degrees and an average low of 63.6 degrees. As in Grand Island, the average nighttime low set a September record.
Hastings' temperature records date to 1907. Its warmest September remains 1931, with an overall average of 74.3 degrees.
The National Weather Service released the September rankings Oct. 1. With the month now complete, the final statistics show that persistent warmth — particularly during the nighttime hours — placed September 2026 among the warmest on record in both central Nebraska communities.