Fireworks illuminating the night, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND — Independence Day ushers in our climatologically hottest month of the year – July.
The majority of Independence Days in the Nebraska Tri Cities feature afternoon high temperatures between the mid-80s and low-90s, while morning low temperatures typically settle somewhere in the 60s.
However, even in a summer weather pattern (typically less variable than other seasons), some holidays still exhibit notable departures from “average” conditions.
For example: just in the last 30 years, Independence Day highs in Grand Island have ranged from 73 to 102 degrees. This story features a wealth of Independence Day weather and climate information focused specifically on Grand Island, where weather records date back 128 years to 1896.
Temperatures: According to the entire period of record, the hottest Independence Day on record was 109 degrees in 1936, and the coolest daytime high was 70 degrees in 1915. As for low temperatures, the chilliest on record was 48 degrees in 1997, and the warmest was 80 degrees in 1934.
Only 15-of-128 Independence Days on record (12 percent) have featured high temperatures of 100 degrees or higher, and five of these were during the infamously hot 1930s. However, a 100 degrees reading did occur just two years ago in 2022 (the first since 2012).
Rainfall: The wettest Independence Day on record was way back in 1902 with 2.56 inches. However, only 3-of-128 holidays featured more than one inches of rain (and not since 1.53 inches in 1984). Measurable amounts (0.01 inch or more) have been recorded in 35-of-128 years (27 percent of the time).
The 0.46 inches that fell during the very early morning hours two years ago in 2022 actually marked the first measurable rain on Independence Day at Central Nebraska Regional Airport in 12 years (since 0.47 inches in 2010).
Severe Thunderstorms/Tornadoes (recent past): Just two years ago, Independence Day 2022 went down in the history books for featuring a climatologically rare, very-early morning EF-1 rated tornado.
The tornado abruptly emerged from the cover of darkness and carved out a nearly 10-mile path through Hall/Merrick counties, damaging over a half dozen homes, destroying several outbuildings and snapping a number of power poles along the way (fortunately no reported injuries).
This tornado first touched down at 12:51 a.m. CDT near the extreme southeastern fringes of Grand Island (near South Locust St. and Schimmer Drive) and lifted about 19 minutes later approximately four miles south-southwest of Chapman in Merrick County.
2023 Independence Day Recap: Compared to what happened one year prior when Independence Day 2022 featured a climatologically rare, very-early morning EF-1 rated tornado that skirted the southeast fringes of Grand Island, the holiday weather on July 4, 2023, was far more mundane.
All in all, it was simply a seasonably warm and fairly humid summer day under sunny to partly cloudy skies, featuring an afternoon high temperature of 94 degrees, following an early morning low of 69 degrees.
Precipitation-wise, the vast majority of the calendar day was dry, with only a brief period of non-measurable rain/sprinkles detected at Central Nebraska Regional Airport around 11 p.m.
However, one did not have to travel very far south to find a very stormy/rainy evening, as a nearly solid, west-east oriented axis of thunderstorms (some severe) set up shop only 30-50 miles south-southeast of Grand Island especially between 7-10 p.m.
Also, during the evening, a seasonably-strong cold front swept in from the north, turning winds northerly and quite gusty for a time (including a peak gust of 40 mph at 7:20 p.m.).
