NEBRASKA – Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island and North Platte are approaching winter 2026-27 with a reminder that Nebraska’s snowfall history remains significant despite changing seasonal patterns. A statewide weather-station average of 31.11 inches annually illustrates the state’s winter climate, while El Niño does not eliminate blizzards, dangerous cold or highway disruptions. Winter storms can continue through March.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), its October 15, 2026, outlook for December through February favors above-normal temperatures across Nebraska. Precipitation probabilities are less decisive, with much of the state showing equal chances of above-, near- or below-normal totals. These seasonal outlooks do not predict snowfall amounts or individual storms.
What Nebraska’s Snowfall History Actually Shows Nebraska’s historical 31.11-inch snowfall figure represents an average across weather stations, not the snowfall normal for Omaha, Lincoln or any individual community…