HASTINGS, NE — The air over south-central Nebraska bites harder this morning — the kind of cold that stings your breath and crusts over fences with frost. Temperatures hover in the teens across Hastings, and wind chills early today have dipped as low as 10° below zero north of I-80, according to the National Weather Service in Hastings.
The region sits under the firm grip of an arctic high, delivering the coldest stretch of the season so far. By midmorning, sunshine returns, but it won’t bring much warmth — highs will struggle near 31°F, with winds gusting up to 25 mph. Expect the chill to hold through Friday morning, when low temperatures plunge again into the single digits before a brief, milder rebound.
Friday looks bright and calm with a high near 43°F, though the next change arrives Saturday. Clouds build with a 20% chance of snow by nightfall, particularly north of Hastings and along Highway 281, where a light dusting to less than one inch is possible. No significant accumulation is expected, but slick spots may form as temperatures drop below freezing after sunset.
By early next week, the Plains trend drier and slightly warmer, with daytime highs reaching the 40s to low 50s. Long-range models still hint at a larger winter pattern shift between Dec. 11–17, bringing renewed cold and potential snow into the central U.S. — something Midwestern travelers should monitor as holiday plans pick up.
Five-Day Outlook (Hastings, NE)
- Thursday: Sunny, high 31°F. Wind chills -1° to -9°.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, high 43°F.
- Saturday: Mostly cloudy, snow chance at night, high 38°F.
- Sunday: Partly sunny, high 23°F.
- Monday: Mostly clear, high 44°F.
