For Nebraska, it was the eighth-warmest and eighth-driest; for Iowa, tenth-warmest and 32nd-driest.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, based on 118 years of data
Lows Saturday and Sunday could drop to zero in Omaha, a mark not yet seen this winter.
“It’s just a very cold air mass,” said Paul Walker, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc., the World-Herald’s weather consultant.
Daytime highs Saturday are forecast in the teens and on Sunday in the 20s.
The drop in temperatures is the result of a short-lived arctic front that is being aided by snow cover, said Cathy Zapotocny, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Valley. A blanket of snow helps chill the air.
Omaha's previous low for the winter was 2 degrees Dec. 6. On that day, there were 3 inches of snow on the ground. As of Wednesday, Omaha had 5 inches of snow on the ground, according to the weather service.
Kathleen Cue, a horticulturist, said the snow cover will insulate plants against the bitterly cold overnight air. A number of home gardeners have seen their tulips and crocuses begin to sprout.
“The fact that a layer of snow is on top of everything now is a really, really good thing,” said Cue, who works with the University of Nebraska Extension for Douglas and Sarpy Counties. “It traps pockets of air around things and acts as an insulating layer.”
Buds on trees should survive the cold snap, but leaves that emerge later this spring could show damage, she said.
Plants have ceased breaking dormancy since last weekend's snow, Cue said.
“Since the snowfall, we have not seen any more bud swell or foliage coming up from bulbs,” Cue said. “They've gotten the notice from Mother Nature that winter isn't through. And that is really, really good.”
Contact the writer: 402-444-1102, nancy.gaarder@owh.com
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