Weather
Hastings, NE Weather Nov. 4: 12.18 Inches, 3rd-Wettest Fall
Hastings, NE – An extraordinary stretch of rainfall has pushed Hastings into the weather record books Wednesday, Nov. 4, with the city already experiencing its third wettest meteorological fall on rec
By Owen Prescott · 2026-11-04T11:25:47.357Z
Hastings, NE – An extraordinary stretch of rainfall has pushed Hastings into the weather record books Wednesday, Nov. 4, with the city already experiencing its third wettest meteorological fall on record. Even more remarkable, nearly an entire month remains before the season officially ends.
According to the National Weather Service NWS in Hastings, the city's municipal airport has recorded 12.18 inches of precipitation from Sept. 1 through Nov. 3, making fall 2026 the wettest autumn since 1973.
Third Wettest Fall in 133 Years
Weather records dating back to 1894 show only two fall seasons with higher precipitation totals at Hastings Municipal Airport.
The wettest occurred in 1973, when 17.02 inches fell between September and November.
The second wettest was 1919, with 13.75 inches.
This year's 12.18 inches already exceeds the fourth place total of 10.88 inches recorded in 1997.
The NWS reports that rainfall this fall is approximately 8.02 inches above normal, highlighting just how unusually wet the season has become.
A Dramatic Change From 2025
The rainfall difference compared with last year is especially striking.
During the entire meteorological fall of 2025, Hastings recorded just 3.91 inches of precipitation, including only 0.32 inches in November.
By comparison, September 2026 produced 6.76 inches, October added 2.75 inches, and the first three days of November contributed another 2.67 inches.
That means this fall has already received more than three times the precipitation recorded during the same three month season last year.
Will Hastings Climb Higher in the Rankings?
Despite the historic totals, forecasters expect mostly dry weather across the region over the next several days.
Hastings needs another 1.58 inches to surpass the 1919 total and move into second place.
With November still underway, the final ranking remains uncertain.
Residents can follow updated forecasts and climate information at weather.gov/gid.