Grand Island, Nebraska – Arctic air is expected to remain positioned mainly north of central Nebraska late this month, with only limited and short-lived influence possible across the region from Jan. 24 through Jan. 30.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, central Nebraska falls within a roughly 40 percent probability zone for below-normal temperatures during the Jan. 24–30 period. This places the region on the southern fringe of the broader Arctic pattern, where brief cool-downs are possible but sustained cold is not favored.
Across the Platte River Valley, including Grand Island, Kearney, and Hastings, daytime highs may dip slightly below late-January averages at times, but are expected to rebound during milder stretches. Overnight lows could fall into the upper 20s and 30s on colder nights, allowing for patchy frost and isolated slick spots on bridges, overpasses, and untreated rural roads during early morning hours.
Farther north toward Ord and Broken Bow, cooler air may linger a bit longer overnight, especially in open and rural areas where temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Even so, daytime recovery should limit prolonged cold impacts across most of central Nebraska.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation advises drivers to remain alert for isolated early morning slick spots during brief cold spells, particularly on elevated roadways and less-traveled highways. Overall, confidence remains low that below-normal temperatures will dominate central Nebraska through the end of the month, with the pattern favoring variable but generally seasonable late-January conditions.
