HEAT WAVES IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
 1887-2003 (through October 1, 2003)
CONTENTS:
Scroll through the file, or Click on any of the following topics:
Number of days 90 F or higher, last 6 years, 1936 and Normals
The most number of days 90 F or higher annually.
The most number of days 90 F or higher monthly.
The most number of days 100 F or higher.
The longest stretch of 90 F or higher days.
The longest stretch of 100 F or higher days.
The hottest day ever recorded in Lincoln.
The 13 hottest days ever recorded in Lincoln.
A photo of Lincoln during worst ever heat wave.
Graph showing number of 90 F or higher days since 1887.
Graph showing number of 100 F or higher days since 1887.
Listing of total number of 100 F days since 1887 by year.
Highest temperature each year in Lincoln, 1887 through 2003

Also check out:  Lincoln's First 90 F or Higher, 1887-2003

Also check out:  Heat Wave Safety


The total number of days with the temperature 
90 degrees F or higher for Lincoln, NE 
(2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1936 - worst year ever and Normals).
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1936
NORMALS*
APRIL
1 day
1 day
0 days
0 days
0 days
0 days
0 days
0 days
MAY 
1 day
2 days
5 days
 6 days
0 days
4 days
2 days
2 days
JUNE
2 days
19 days
9 days
 8 days
4 days
9 days
17 days
8 days
JULY
19 days
22 days
20 days
11 days
20 days
12 days
29 days
16 days
AUGUST
17 days
13 days
13 days
 19 days 
9 days
12 days
23 days
12 days
SEPTEMBER
3 days
 7 days
4 days
 9 days 
4 days
9 days
11 days
 4 days
OCTOBER
1 day
1 day
0 days
1 day
0 days
0 days
0 days
0 days
TOTAL
43 days
65 days
51 days
54 days
37 days
46 days
82 days
42 days
NORMALS* (standard 1971-2000, 30-year normals)



The years with the most total number of days with
the temperature 90 degrees F or higher for Lincoln, NE.
YEAR
NUMBER OF
DAYS
RANK
1936
82
1
1934
79
2
1913
71
3
1983
68
4
1937
66
5
1980
65
6
2002
65
6
1939
64
8
1956
64
8
1988
64
8
1931
62
11
1941
62
11
1953
62
11
The years with the least total number of days with
the temperature 90 degrees F or higher for Lincoln, NE.
7 Days, 1889
9 days, 1915
12 days, 1902
15 days, 1992


The most total number of days with
the temperature 90 degrees F or higher for Lincoln, NE.
For June, July, August, and September.
YEAR 2002, JUNE = 19 Days; July = 20 Days; August = 13 Days; September = 7 days.
JUNE
 # 90 Deg. 
Days
JULY  # 90 Deg. 
Days
AUGUST
# 90 Deg. 
Days
SEPTEMBER
# 90 Deg. 
Days
1933
22
 
1935
30
 
1947
27
1897
17
2002
19
 
1936
29
 
1913
26
 
1990
16
1952
19
 
1974
29
 
1983
26
 
1895
15
1988
19
 
1916
28
 
1937
25
 
1927
15
1911
18
 
1934
28
 
1918
23
 
1939
14
1953
18
 
1901
27
 
1936
23
 
1931
13
1934
17
 
1940
25
 
1959
22
 
1947
13
1936
17
 
1980
25
 
1909
21
 
1933
12
1956
17
 
1919
24
 
1922
21
 
1908
11
1940
15
 
1954
24
 
1955
21
 
1922
11
1954
15
 
1955
24
 
1988
21
 
1936
11
1981
15
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1952
11
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1983
11
 & the least number of days 90 degrees or higher
JUNE:   0 days in 1915, 1928, 1951:
JULY:   2 days in 1891 & 1950; 
AUGUST:   0 days in 1915.


The years with the most total number of days 
with the temperature 100 degrees F 
or higher for Lincoln, NE.
YEAR
NUMBER OF
DAYS
RANK
1936
41
1
1934
39
2
1913
29
3
1901
25
4
1947
22
5
1974
20
6
1935
19
7
1940
19
8
1980
18
9
1988
18
10
YEAR 2003: 10 DAYS
(July 14, 17, 20, 25, 26; August 16, 17, 18, 24, 25)

YEAR 2002: 7 DAYS: July 19, 20, 21 and 31; August  3, 4 and 5
YEAR 2001: 4 DAYS: July 6, 7; Aug. 5, 21)
YEAR 2000: 5 DAYS: Aug. 12, 16, 28, 30, Sept. 2
YEAR 1999: 3 DAYS 

Normal annual total is 5 days



The Longest CONTINUOUS stretch with days
90 degrees F or higher for Lincoln, NE.
 DATES
NUMBER OF 
DAYS
RANK
7/ 8/1934--8/14/1934
38
1
6/24/1936--7/28/1936
35
2
7/ 5/1974-- 7/28/1974
24
3
7/ 6/1901-- 7/28/1901
23
4
8/23/1990-- 9/13/1990 
22
5
7/13/1935--  8/1/1935 
20
6
6/29/1955-- 7/14/1955
16
7
7/26/1983-- 8/10/1983
16
7
 7/18/1987-- 8/2/1987
16
7
6/18/2002-- 7/2/2002
15
10
7/28/1941-- 8/11/1941 
15
10
7/12/1982-- 7/26/1982 
15
10

2003:  7 DAYS (July 2-July 8; and, August 14-20)

2002: 15 DAYS (June 18-July 2)
The Year 2002 streak ended on July 2nd with a high of only 89 F on July 3rd. 
July 4-9 saw 90 degree weather again.  If July 3rd had only been 1 degree warmer, 
the streak would have extended 22 days long or the 5th longest on record. 

2001: 11 DAYS (July 29-Aug. 8)

2000: 12 DAYS (Aug. 5-16)

1999: 8 DAYS (July 18-25)

 1998:   9 DAYS,  twice (July 13-21) AND  (August 16-24)



The Longest continuous stretch with days
100 degrees F or higher for Lincoln, NE.
DATES
NUMBER OF 
100 Degree DAYS 
RANK
 7/11/1934 -- 7/25/1934
15 
1
7/ 9/1936  -- 7/19/1936
11 
2
7/ 8/1901  -- 7/17/1901
10 
3
6/18/1988 -- 6/25/1988
4
6/29/1911 -- 7/05/1911
5
 7/26/1935 -- 8/01/1935
5
7/ 6/1980  -- 7/11/1980
7
7/13/1913 -- 7/17/1913
8
7/27/1917 -- 7/31/1917
8
6/15/1918 -- 6/19/1918
8
 7/16/1930 -- 7/20/1930
5
8
7/21/1941 -- 7/25/1941
5
8
8/16/1947 -- 8/20/1947
5
8
8/24/1955 -- 8/28/1955
5
8
7/ 9/1966  -- 7/13/1966
5
8
7/17/1974 -- 7/21/1974
5
8
7/18/1983 -- 7/22/1983
5
8
7/29/1987 -- 8/2/1987
5
8
7/10/1995 -- 7/14/1995
5
8
2003:  3 DAYS Aug. 16, 17, 18
2002:  3 DAYS (twice) July 19, 20, 21 & Aug. 3, 4, 5
2001:  2 DAYS July 6,7.
2000:  Only one day in a row, 5 times.
1999:  3 DAYS July 28,29,30.

The hottest day ever recorded in Lincoln, NE:
July 25, 1936

High: 115 F Low: 91 F
Average temperature for the day = 103F !




The 13 hottest days ever recorded
in Lincoln, NE (All 110 degrees F or higher).
DATE
HIGH TEMPERATURE
July 25, 1936
115 F
July 25, 1940
113 F
July 15, 1934
112 F
July 17, 1936 
112 F
July 12, 1939
111 F
July 19, 1934
111 F
July 24, 1940 
111 F
July 24, 1936
111 F
July  4,  1936
110 F
July  5,  1911
110 F
July 20, 1934
110 F
August  8, 1934
110 F
August 18, 1936
110 F

JULY 25, 1936, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

 With an overnight low of only 91 F after a daytime 
high of 115 F, residents of Lincoln spent the
 night on the capitol lawn to escape the heat
inside their non-airconditioned dwellings.
(Photo courtesy:  Nebraska Historical Society)




Most = 82 days, 1936; Least = 7, 1889;
1971-2000 (30 year) average = 41 days.

Most = 41 days, 1936; Least = 0, 22 separate years;
1971-2000 (30 year) average = 5 days.


LINCOLN, NE
TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS
100 F OR HIGHER, EACH YEAR
1887-2003.
YEAR
 DAYS
 
YEAR
 DAYS
 
YEAR
 DAYS
 
YEAR
 DAYS
1887
2
1917
7
1947
22
1977
7
1888 2 1918 17 1948 5 1978 2
1889 0 1919 8 1949 0 1979 1
1890 5 1920 0 1950 1 1980 18
1891 0 1921 6 1951 2 1981 4
1892 2 1922 7 1952 8 1982 1
1893 0 1923 0 1953 13 1983 17
1894 2 1924 3 1954 16 1984 7
1895 5 1925 3 1955 17 1985 1
1896 0 1926 8 1956 8 1986 0
1897 4 1927 1 1957 9 1987 9
1898 1 1928 1 1958 0 1988 18
1899 2 1929 2 1959 2 1989 3
1900 1 1930 17 1960 2 1990 7
1901 25 1931 15 1961 2 1991 6
1902 0 1932 3 1962 0 1992 0
1903 0 1933 9 1963 2 1993 0
1904 0 1934 39 1964 6 1994 0
1905 0 1935 19 1965 1 1995 10
1906 0 1936 41 1966 8 1996 0
1907 1 1937 16 1967 2 1997 2
1908 0 1938 12 1968 1  
1998
 1
1909 2 1939 10 1969 2
1999
3
1910 2 1940 19 1970 6 2000
5
1911 15 1941 13 1971 4 2001
4
1912 6 1942 6 1972 0 2002
7
1913 29 1943 10 1973 2 2003
10
1914 7 1944 3 1974 20
1915 0 1945 2 1975 3
1916 5 1946 3 1976 3


Highest Temperature (Max) Each Year in Lincoln, Nebraska
Year 1887-2003

Year Month Day Max Year Month Day Max Year Month Day Max  
1887
7
29
102
 
1927
7
6
100
 
1967
5
24
103
1888
7
12
100
 
1928
7
6
101
 
1968
7
21
100
1889
7
6
94
 
1929
8
21
104
 
1969
7
3
101
1890
7
13
103
 
1930
7
18
108
 
1970
7
2
102
1891
7
11
95
 
1931
7
28
105
 
1971
6
24
102
1892
7
21
102
 
1932
7
14
101
 
1972
7
10
98
1893
7
12
99
 
1933
7
1
108
 
1973
6
24
101
1894
7
26
105
 
1934
7
15
112
 
1974
7
21
106
1895
7
26
102
 
1935
8
8
106
 
1975
9
1
101
1896
8
15
98
 
1936
7
25
115
 
1976
7
9
103
1897
6
16
101
 
1937
6
23
106
 
1977
7
3
102
1898
8
20
101
 
1938
7
12
105
 
1978
7
5
104
1899
9
5
101
 
1939
7
12
111
 
1979
6
14
100
1900
7
6
100
 
1940
7
25
113
 
1980
7
13
106
1901
7
21
106
 
1941
7
23
106
 
1981
7
12
104
1902
6
10
96
 
1942
8
1
105
 
1982
8
3
100
1903
7
9
99
 
1943
8
23
103
 
1983
8
16
107
1904
8
15
97
 
1944
8
10
103
 
1984
8
28
103
1905
7
16
99
 
1945
7
23
101
 
1985
8
31
102
1906
8
16
98
 
1946
6
15
108
 
1986
7
28
98
1907
7
5
100
 
1947
8
9
106
 
1987
8
1
105
1908
9
5
98
 
1948
8
22
103
 
1988
6
21
107
1909
8
16
103
 
1949
6
30
99
 
1989
8
4
103
1910
7
27
106
 
1950
6
23
100
 
1990
7
2
108
1911
7
5
110
 
1951
8
5
102
 
1991
7
21
106
1912
7
9
104
 
1952
7
27
105
 
1992
6
16
93
1913
7
16
109
 
1953
6
18
105
 
1993
8
17
97
1914
7
12
103
 
1954
7
13
109
 
1994
5
30
96
1915
5
14
96
 
1955
7
31
108
 
1995
7
12
108
1916
8
4
101
 
1956
7
27
106
 
1996
7
17
98
1917
7
30
106
 
1957
7
12
105
 
1997
7
25
103
1918
8
4
109
 
1958
6
4
99
 
1998
7
20
102
1919
7
26
103
 
1959
8
11
100
 
1999
7
29
104
1920
7
4
99
 
1960
7
11
101
 
2000
9
2
106
1921
8
25
103
 
1961
6
30
102
 
2001
7
6
102
1922
9
1
106
 
1962
8
19
97
 
2002
7
21
104
1923
7
10
98
 
1963
8
2
101
 
2003
7
17
105
1924
8
3
101
 
1964
8
2
107
 
2004
     
1925
7
1
103
 
1965
8
12
102
 
2005
     
1926
8
26
105
 
1966
7
12
106
 
2006
     
Year
Month Day Max Year Month Day Max Year Month Day Max