Hastings, NE – September brought dramatic rainfall variations across south-central Nebraska, with totals ranging from barely an inch in some areas to more than six inches in others, according to the National Weather Service Hastings.
Officials said rainfall was “fairly variable” across the 30-county forecast area. Counties such as York and Polk received as little as 1 inch, while southeast counties including Thayer, Fillmore, and especially Mitchell, Kansas, saw as much as 6 to 8 inches.
Most of the region, or about 80 percent of totals, fell between 1.45 and 3.90 inches—roughly 70 to 185 percent of normal for September.
At the Tri-Cities airports, the rainfall picture was mixed. According to NWS data, Kearney Airport reported 3.46 inches, which was 188 percent of its September average and the wettest since 2000. Hastings recorded 2.08 inches, right at its normal level, while Grand Island measured 1.80 inches, slightly below average.
The weather service noted that all three airports were wetter compared to last September, underscoring the year-to-year shifts common in the region’s climate.
Residents can track precipitation totals and snowfall throughout the year using national and local resources. The NWS also encourages participation in volunteer observer networks such as CoCoRaHS and NeRAIN to improve local data collection.
