Regional Breakdown

Warmer temperatures continued into September; however, widespread and much-needed precipitation fell across the region. Most of this fell in the back half of the month, with parts of Kansas and Nebraska receiving over 4 inches (10.16 cm) in one day. The beginning of the month was the polar opposite, with record-breaking heat and dryness across parts of the High Plains.

The remnants of Hurricane Polo pushed into the southern High Plains on the last day of the month, dropping buckets of water in its path. The heaviest rain fell in the Lincoln and Omaha metros in Nebraska, with totals over 8 inches (20.32 cm) in the suburb of Millard. Firefighters in Omaha responded to dozens of water-rescue calls in just a few hours, with more than 50 people rescued from an area where floodwater reached 6 to 8 feet (1.83 to 2.44 meters). Nebraska State Patrol also performed 71 motorist assists, while Lincoln Fire and Rescue used a boat to get around town to rescue over 20 people from the waters. A family in Waverly was forced to use a tractor to escape after the waters along Salt Creek rapidly overflowed. Thankfully, there were no fatalities or major injuries reported despite all of the rescues. After the rain stopped falling, several streams and lakes in the area reached record levels as the deluge of water began to run off. Dozens of roads in the Lincoln and Omaha areas were closed, leading to some schools having a late start or closing for the day.

Wetness this month was too late and a bit of a nuisance, but it also should have some positive impacts. With corn harvest underway, it was too late to improve conditions and also hampered the harvest schedule. Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota are all behind their 5-year average for corn harvest, while soybean harvest is way behind in Nebraska and South Dakota. The heavy rainfall has delayed winter wheat planting across the region; however, it has led to Kansas and Nebraska having a topsoil moisture surplus for close to 20 percent of both states. Pasture conditions are slow to respond, with over 35 percent rated as poor to very poor in all states.

Temperature and Precipitation Overview

Above: Departure from 1991-2020 normal temperature (left) and percent of normal precipitation (right) for September 2026 in the High Plains region. Maps are produced by the High Plains Regional Climate Center and are available at: http://hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current

Precipitation

Precipitation was fairly abundant this month, with large portions of the region receiving over 200 percent of their normal precipitation. Several rounds of heavy rain led some places to record close to 12 inches (30.48 cm) of rain this month, a sharp contrast to conditions this summer. Despite this, there were still a few areas with well-below-normal precipitation, including the stretch of the Front Range from Boulder to Cheyenne.

Dreary might be the best word to describe this month in Nebraska, with parts of the state receiving measurable precipitation over 20 days this month. A laundry list of locations, including Hastings, Lincoln, Norfolk, and Omaha, all had their second-highest number of days in September with measurable precipitation, with each of them above 15 days. North Platte had their record with 18 days, while Wakefield not only set their September record with 22 days, but also their all-time record for any month. As expected, the totals this month, particularly in eastern Nebraska, were exceptionally high. Omaha reported 11.92 inches (30.28 cm), which was the highest in the state and its second-wettest September and seventh-wettest month overall. On the 30th, the training thunderstorms produced 4.74 inches (12.04 cm) of rain, which was the fourth-highest single-day total in September. Of that total, 2.7 inches (6.86 cm) fell in one hour and was the second-highest single-hour measurement on record. Down the road in Lincoln, they recorded their wettest September on record and fourth wettest month overall, with 11.49 inches (29.19 cm) falling this month. A record-breaking 6.15 inches (15.62 cm) of this fell on the 30th, the highest single-day total for any month for the city.

Down to the south in Kansas, there were some pockets of exceptionally high rainfall. Burr Oak (east of Smith Center) had its wettest September and fifth wettest month overall, with 11.34 inches (28.8 cm) falling. Of this, 9.49 inches (24.11 cm) fell in the last seven days of the month and would rank as the wettest week on record for the station. Another stretch of heavy rainfall covered the western half of the state. Tribune and Syracuse observed their wettest September, with 6.54 and 5.92 inches (16.61 and 15.04 cm) falling, respectively. Other locations such as Lawrence, Manhattan, and Topeka all recorded above 6 inches (15.24 cm) of precipitation this month.

Colorado was a bit of a mixed bag this month, with record wetness and a slew of stations below 0.25 inches (6.35 mm). The highest amounts in the state were found in the southern half, particularly at Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) sites in the upper elevations. Vallecito (northeast of Durango) observed 11.70 inches (29.72 cm) of moisture this month, while the surrounding stations, including Columbus Basin, Stump Lakes, and Weminuche Creek, reported over 9 inches (22.86 cm). Just a bit to the east and north of Pagosa Springs, Upper San Juan received 10 inches (25.4 cm), and Wolf Creek Summit observed 9.50 inches (24.13 cm). Just down the slopes, Pagosa Springs observed anywhere from 6 to over 8.5 inches (15.24 to 21.59 cm), with the highest amounts to the northwest of town. Towards the southeastern part of the state, a number of stations reported their wettest September, including La Junta, Ordway, Rocky Ford, and Walsh. On the opposite side of things, the northeastern corner of the state missed out on most of the moisture. Briggsdale (just northeast of Greeley) only reported 0.02 inches (0.51 mm) this month. To the southeast of town, the Fort Morgan area was equally dry. A CoCoRaHS observer in town reported 0.01 inches (0.25 mm), and a few miles to the southeast observed 0.03 inches (0.76 mm). Back toward the west, only a handful of stations in Boulder, Greeley, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Loveland reported over an inch (2.54 cm) of moisture this month, leading to the exceptional drought (D4) being introduced in the area.

Regional Precipitation

Above: Total precipitation in inches (left) and departure from normal precipitation in inches (right) for September 2026. Maps are produced by HPRCC and can be found on the Current Climate Summary Maps page at: http://hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current.

Temperatures

September continued the pattern of exceptionally warm temperatures, with most of the region in the top ten warmest. This was predominantly driven by the heatwave at the beginning of the month and minimum temperatures at all-time highs. In Kansas, temperatures were up to 12 degrees F (6.7 degrees C) above normal this month after several locations recorded over ten days above 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C).

The southern half of Kansas was historically warm, with most stations surpassing their record for September. Among the most notable was Wichita, which had an average temperature of 80.6 degrees F (27 degrees C) and beat the previous record in 1931 by over a degree. Both the minimum and maximum temperature records were broken as well, highlighting that it was warm overall and not driven by one or the other. There were ten days above 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C), with six being the previous record in 2000 and 1985. All of these occurred in the first half of the month, with the average high being 102.3 degrees F (39.1 degrees C) from the third through the ninth, which is the highest for maximum temperatures on record for September in Wichita. To the north, Hutchinson surpassed 1998 by over 4 degrees F (2.2 degrees C) for its warmest September, with an average temperature of 81.5 degrees F (27.5 degrees C). Similar to Wichita, the number of days above 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) was astronomically higher, with 14 this month compared to six in the previous record year of 2000. Other highlights of the unusual warmth in Kansas included Sedan (near the Oklahoma border) recording the warmest September on record for any station in the state, with an average temperature of 81.8 degrees F (27.7 degrees C). Another astonishing statistic was Salina recording the hottest week on record in September for any station, with an average temperature of 89.8 degrees F (32.1 degrees C) from the second through the eighth. Other notable locations observing their warmest September on record included Emporia, Pittsburg, Garden City, Russell, and Independence. Those falling just short and ranking in the top three included Concordia, Dodge City, Goodland, and Topeka.

Outside of Kansas, a few locations recorded their warmest September, while a large number were in the top five. Notable locations that were ranked as warmest included Kearney, Ogallala, and Sidney in Nebraska, while in Colorado this list included Akron, Burlington, Fort Collins, Holyoke, and Steamboat Springs. The lineup ranking second warmest was Alamosa in Colorado, Cheyenne to the north in Wyoming, and Scottsbluff just across the border in Nebraska. A few locations in Colorado, including Canon City, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo, came in at third warmest. Wrapping up Nebraska, the major locations ranking as fourth warmest were Lincoln, North Platte, and Omaha. Outside of these, most major locations were in the top ten or close to it. This month continued the historic year the High Plains is experiencing, with most locations still in the top five warmest as the end of the year approaches.

Drought Conditions

For the first time in a while, drought conditions predominantly improved across the High Plains in September. Despite the record warmth, most places received generous amounts of much-needed precipitation as winter rapidly approaches. Overall, the percentage of the region in D0 to D4 (abnormally dry to exceptional drought) decreased by over seven percent.

An active pattern across parts of the region led to substantial improvements, particularly in eastern Colorado. Up to three categories of improvement occurred to the north of Lamar along the border with Kansas. Parts of Cheyenne County went from severe drought (D2) to drought-free this month, while the pocket of extreme drought (D3) was removed from the area. As a whole state, D2 to D4 was reduced by close to 17 percent this month. While this represented a great step forward, just to the west, two patches of D4 emerged near Boulder and Colorado Springs.

North Dakota had rapidly degraded over the summer, with drought impacting all facets of life in the state. While too late for most crops in the state, this month provided some relief. The areas of D3 were reduced, with the patch along the eastern border experiencing the biggest reduction. The northern half of the state also saw significant improvement, with drought being removed for the most part.

In South Dakota, the overall extent of drought did not see much change; however, the intensity was reduced. D3 was nearly removed from the state except for a tiny patch in the northwestern corner. D2 experienced a significant reduction, going from nearly 36 percent of the state engulfed to just over ten percent by the end of the month. 85 percent of the state is still dealing with some form of drought, but it is a much better situation than what it was before.

The active pattern across the central part of the High Plains led to drought improvements of up to two categories in Nebraska, Wyoming, and northeastern Colorado. Those that were bone-dry, including southeastern Kansas and North Dakota, observed a rapid escalation in drought conditions. Overall, the percentage of the region in D0 to D4 (abnormally dry to exceptional drought) slightly increased by two percent. Elsewhere in the region, both improvements and degradation were observed. According to the Climate Prediction Center’s U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook for September, drought is likely to improve in most states except for Wyoming.

U.S. Drought Monitor	Drought Monitor 1-Month Change

The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced as a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Drought Mitigation Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For current Drought Monitor information, please see: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/.

Climate Outlooks

According to the Climate Prediction Center, an El Niño Advisory is present.  For more information, visit: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf

The National Weather Service’s long-range flood outlook indicates increased chances of minor flooding in Kansas and Nebraska through November. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), fire potential will be limited through December.  

The seasonal temperature and precipitation outlooks presented below combine the effects of long-term trends, soil moisture, and, when applicable, the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle (ENSO). To learn more about these outlooks, please visit http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.

Temperature

The three-month temperature outlook shows an increased chance of above-normal temperatures across the majority of the United States except the south-central portions. In the High Plains, warmer temperatures are favored across the entire region except for Colorado and southern Kansas.

Precipitation

The precipitation outlook for the next three months indicates above-normal precipitation in the southern half of the United States. Above-normal precipitation is favored for Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Drought

The U.S Seasonal Drought Outlook released on September 30th indicates drought will likely improve for portions of most states.