Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Lincoln, Nebraska Weather

Dusk arrives one minute earlier each night. Day 43 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Lincoln weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Lincoln, NE
Sunday, August 2 at 9:58 AM
74
°
Clear
Feels like
76°
Humidity
63%
Wind
2 mph
Sunrise
1:24 AM
Sunset
3:41 PM
Lincoln, NE
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastLincoln, NE: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 63 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 63°H 89°
Lincoln, NE
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Aug 2
    Partly Cloudy
    —
    —
    89°60°—
  2. Monday
    Aug 3
    Overcast
    —
    —
    93°63°+4°
  3. Tuesday
    Aug 4
    Overcast
    13%
    —
    92°70°-1°
  4. Wednesday
    Aug 5
    Drizzle
    74%
    0.03″
    83°64°-9°
  5. Thursday
    Aug 6
    Overcast
    16%
    —
    93°63°+10°
  6. Friday
    Aug 7
    Heavy Drizzle
    —
    —
    100°66°+7°
  7. Saturday
    Aug 8
    Clear
    —
    —
    107°76°+7°
Lincoln, NE
Next 24 hours · Mild now
HOT 90°55°75°95°12p6p12a6anow 70°high 89°low 63°
Lincoln, NE
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
WNW
288° · backing 48°
Direction
WNW
288°
Sustained
2
mph
Gust
4
mph
Peak 24h
22
avg 7 mph
Beaufort · 1 · LIGHT AIR
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 7 mph · pk 22 mph @ 10:00a
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 156SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Lincoln, NE
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
971.4
+0.8 mb in 3h · rising · 28.69 inHg
Now
971.4
mb
3h
+0.8
mb
12h
0.0
mb
24h
-2.1
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 970–973
965970975980-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW973.4969.8970.9
Deep low — expect rough seas, strong wind, and persistent rain.
Lincoln, NE
Air quality
50
AQI
Good
↑+5 in 6h

AQI 50 (Good), driven by PM2.5. AQI up 5 over the last 6 hours (gradual rise). PM2.5 at 5.9 µg/m³ (AQI 33) with a 0.98 fine-to-coarse ratio and 2 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in stagnant air, not road dust.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERGood
5.9μg/m³
PM 10Good
6μg/m³
NO₂Good
15μg/m³
OzoneGood
58μg/m³
UV IndexLow
1.9

What's driving it

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 5.9 µg/m³ (AQI 33) with a 0.98 fine-to-coarse ratio and 2 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in stagnant air, not road dust.

PM2.5/PM10
0.98
Wind
calm
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
stagnant smoke

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³300
Lincoln, NE
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
0%
CLEAR
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
54.0mi
UNLIMITED
71 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
14:58 UTC · Lincoln, NE · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
14:58 UTC · Lincoln, NE · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Lincoln, NE
Satellite · infrared · animated
Lincoln, NE
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Lincoln, NE
Almanac · Sunday, August 2
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
Civil dawn
5:54 AM
Sunrise
1:24 AM
Daylight
14h 17m
Sunset
3:41 PM
Civil dusk
9:13 PM
Planting note
Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.
Lincoln, NE
The moon
Waning Gibbous
84% illuminated
Moonrise
10:10 PM
Moonset
10:33 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Lincoln, NE
Microseason
Aug 1–5

Dusk arrives one minute earlier each night

celestial
Jan 159% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Lincoln at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 12°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: April 21 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Aug 1–5
  • Planting window: Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.

ZIP codes: 68502, 68503, 68504, 68505, 68506, 68507, 68508, 68510 +15 more

16-Day Forecast — Lincoln

  1. Sun89°60°0%
  2. Mon93°63°0%
  3. Tue92°70°13%
  4. Wed83°64°74%
  5. Thu93°63°16%
  6. Fri100°66°9%
  7. Sat107°76°6%
  8. Sun111°79°8%
  9. Mon109°70°9%
  10. Tue107°79°14%
  11. Wed108°81°24%
  12. Thu109°84°22%
  13. Fri107°84°26%
  14. Sat97°66°26%
  15. Sun109°68°33%
  16. Mon95°67°26%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Lincoln

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of August 2, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

SPC Convective Outlook

Storm Prediction Center — Lincoln

SPC includes Lincoln in the general thunderstorm area tomorrow — no severe risk, but storms are possible.

  • TODAYNONENo severe risk
  • TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.

Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.

Sun & seasons in Lincoln

Lincoln sits in Lancaster County, where the year’s longest day runs 15h 6m of daylight and its shortest just 9h 14m — a swing of +5h 52m between the June and December solstices. Clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Omaha, the state’s largest city, lies about 45 miles to the NE. The nearest town Lincoln tracks is Omaha, roughly 45 miles to the NE.

Air quality in Lincoln’s county has trended dirtier since 2020; its cleanest year on record was 2020 (median AQI 35). See the full air-quality history for Lincoln.

January 1–5: Frost quiets the live oaks.January 6–10: Still water thickens with ice.January 11–15: Springs begin to move beneath ice.January 16–20: Cardinal dawn calls grow bolder.January 21–25: Late January thaw pulses.January 26–31: Last freeze locks the land.February 1–5: February's lengthening light.February 6–10: Warming winds thaw the margin.February 11–15: Magnolia blooms break the gray.February 16–20: Mockingbirds resume the dawn chorus.February 21–25: Rain replaces the last snow.February 26–28: Mist clings to greening valleys.March 1–5: The green pulse awakens.March 6–10: Hibernators emerge to call.March 11–15: Dogwood and redbud ignite.March 16–20: Swallowtails emerge from winter silk.March 21–25: Light crowns the dogwood canopy.March 26–31: Redbud cascades over the thaw.April 1–5: Thunder announces the wet season.April 6–10: Barn swallows carve the warming sky.April 11–15: Magnolia blooms and falls in a breath.April 16–20: First rainbows arch over thunderheads.April 21–25: Reeds push through marsh water.April 26–30: Frost retreats; seedlings rise free.May 1–5: Warblers flood the canopy in waves.May 6–10: Tulip poplar lights the forest crown.May 11–15: Shad pulse upstream through rapids.May 16–20: Roses open on the Piedmont edge.May 21–25: Fireflies scout the humid dusk.May 26–31: Frog choruses rise from every wetland.June 1–5: Fireflies pulse through the magnolias.June 6–10: Kudzu climbs deeper into green.June 11–15: Sun climbs to its northern throne.June 16–20: Heat settles and the rain begins.June 21–25: The longest day turns toward shadow.June 26–30: Fireflies drift through Spanish moss.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the scorching afternoon.July 6–10: Thunderheads boil and break at dusk.July 11–15: Thunder builds each drowsy afternoon.July 16–20: Cicadas claim the long noon.July 21–25: Dog days drape the earth in haze.July 26–31: Katydids begin their rasping chorus.August 1–5: Dusk arrives one minute earlier each night.August 6–10: Meteorological summer's turning page.August 11–15: Cool winds gather at the margins.August 16–20: Dog-day cicadas rise.August 21–25: Heat breaks in creek beds.August 26–31: Monarchs gather strength.September 1–5: Harvests begin in earnest.September 6–10: Dew beads on resurrection fern.September 11–15: Raptors trail the thermals.September 16–20: Day and dark find balance.September 21–25: Thunder quiets the land.September 26–30: Insects retreat below.October 1–5: Swamp waters recede.October 6–10: Maples ignite the ridge.October 11–15: Asters crown the meadows.October 16–20: Crickets sing at dusk.October 21–25: Frost paints the garden.October 26–31: Light rains whisper down.November 1–5: Sweetgum Turns Crimson.November 6–10: Camellia Blooms Break Through.November 11–15: Earth Stiffens Underfoot.November 16–20: Bare Limbs Hold the Light.November 21–25: First Frost Grips the High Ground.November 26–30: North Wind Strips the Last Leaves.December 1–5: Darkness Falls Before Dinner.December 6–10: Winter Locks the Land.December 11–15: Wildlife Retreats to Shelter.December 16–20: Ice Edges Deepen Inward.December 21–25: The Sun Begins its Return.December 26–31: The Year Turns in Silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · August 1–5

Dusk arrives one minute earlier each night

Sunset slides back toward 8 PM; darkness creeps in, signaling summer's decline though heat persists.

Day 214 of 365 · Wedge 43 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
Aprillettuce, peas, spinach, radishes—
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Junetomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
August—tomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Octoberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotswinter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

In Lincoln, July runs warmest near 78°F and January coldest around 25°F, while May is the wettest month (4.9 inches) and January the driest (0.7 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January25°0.7″2
February30°0.9″3
March41°1.6″4
April52°2.7″5
May63°4.9″8
June74°4.5″7
July78°3.3″6
August76°3.3″6
September67°2.9″5
October54°2.1″4
November40°1.3″2
December29°1.2″3

Regional context

Lincoln's climate, from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 station normals, pairs 25°F Januarys with 78°F Julys — a 53°F swing. About 29.3 inches of precipitation falls over roughly 54 days a year.

Precipitation in Lincoln runs summer-dominant: May averages 4.9 inches across 7.6 days of warm-season storms, while January drops to 0.7 inches over 2.4 rainy days of drier cool air. It is a warm-season-wet pattern Lincoln shares with places like Yankee Hill, NE, Walton, NE and Cheney, NE.

By mid-April the frosts ease in Lincoln, opening the season for kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Warm-soil crops in Lincoln wait about two weeks past Lincoln's last frost, once the soil warms. Around mid-November, freezing nights resume in Lincoln and tender crops must come in. Within Lincoln, cold-air pooling chills low spots by 5-10°F, shifting Lincoln's local frost dates.

Similar climates: Yankee Hill, NE, Walton, NE, Cheney, NE, Emerald, NE, Prairie Home, NE.

Naturalist notes

Late May brings the peak blooming of eastern cottonwoods, their seeds creating white drifts across Lincoln's landscape.

American robins typically begin their second nesting cycle in early June as daylight reaches its longest stretch.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Lincoln?
Lincoln's last spring frost lands near mid-April, and in Lincoln the first fall frost follows around mid-November.
What is the rainy season in Lincoln?
May is the wettest month in Lincoln, about 4.9 inches on average; the year totals roughly 29 inches.
What is the warmest month in Lincoln?
The warmest stretch in Lincoln comes in July, around 78°F on average.
What is the coldest month in Lincoln?
On average January is the chilliest month in Lincoln, about 25°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Lincoln?
Lincoln's last frost (mid-April) cues hardy greens; in Lincoln, hold heat-lovers two weeks past.
How many rainy days does Lincoln get?
Expect roughly 54 wet days a year in Lincoln.
What hardiness zone is Lincoln?
Lincoln sits in the USDA zone set by January lows near 25°F; the USDA ZIP tool gives the band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Lincoln?
Lincoln's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Lincoln?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Lincoln in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Lincoln?
Current conditions for Lincoln and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Lincoln forecast updated?
The Lincoln forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Lincoln?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Lincoln are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Lincoln?
The next few days in Lincoln's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Lincoln's humid subtropical climate in Nebraska pairs 25°F Januarys with 78°F Julys, 53°F apart across the seasons.

Rain and snow bring Lincoln roughly 29 inches a year across approximately 54 measurable-precipitation days.

The 53°F gap between Lincoln's summer and winter, at 40.8°N, shapes Lincoln's frost calendar.

All cities in Nebraska →

Omaha, NE weather →

ZIP codes in Lincoln

  • 68528
  • 68524
  • 68526
  • 68520
  • 68521
  • 68522
  • 68514
  • 68516
  • 68510
  • 68512
  • 68506
  • 68507
  • 68504
  • 68505
  • 68502
  • 68503
  • 68508
  • 68588
  • 68509
  • 68529
  • 68542
  • 68544
  • 68583

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.