Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS North Platte, NE
Issued by NWS North Platte, NE
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582 FXUS63 KLBF 161726 AFDLBF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 1126 AM CST Sun Nov 16 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Mild temperatures are expected for one more day today, with highs in the 60s across much of the area. - A more active weather pattern is expected over the upcoming week, with the first threat for precipitation arriving on Monday. - A low confidence scenario exists late week, with the potential for widespread beneficial precipitation Thursday into Friday. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 356 AM CST Sun Nov 16 2025 Currently, temperatures have fallen into the 30s across the area under partly cloudy skies. Surface high pressure over is centered over eastern South Dakota is leading to light south winds early this morning. Aloft, upper level ridging is located just upstream over the Rockies, with an upper low over southern California/Nevada. For today, the area will remain under the influence of the shortwave ridging aloft, as it translates overhead through the afternoon. As the upper low begins to cross into the Rockies later today, surface cyclogenesis gets underway across eastern Wyoming and Colorado. With surface high pressure slowly exiting off to the east and deepening low pressure to the west, southerly flow strengthens across the area this afternoon in response. This promotes one more mild day, with highs returning to the 60s for all west of HWY 281. East of HWY 281, southerly flow remains meager in the vicinity of the surface high, and temperatures look to remain in the upper 50s. Lows tonight only fall into the upper 30s, with southerly flow persisting across the area. By Monday morning, the upper low will begin to eject across western Nebraska, with the associated surface low ejecting across southwest Nebraska/northwest Kansas. Unfortunately for much of the area, the track of the upper low suggests much of the area will remain in the dry slot and be largely devoid of precipitation on Monday. The exception to this would be far northern Nebraska, near and north of HWY 20, in the initial deformation axis before it pivots north into South Dakota. The next would be central and north central Nebraska, near and east of HWY 281, as scattered showers develop along and ahead of the surface cold front. This points to much of the Sandhills, western and southwest Nebraska remaining dry with this early week system. Further north and east, light accumulations (<0.10"), are possible Monday afternoon and evening. Increasing cloudiness will keep temperatures in the low to middle 50s north of I-80. Upper 50s are possible south of the interstate. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Issued at 356 AM CST Sun Nov 16 2025 A brief lull in activity is expected Tuesday into Wednesday, as shortwave ridging translates through the area in the wake of Monday`s system. Weak cold advection Tuesday holds highs in the upper 40s to low 50s across much of the area. Southerly flow then returns on Wednesday, as lee cyclogenesis begins across eastern Colorado. This is as upper low pressure begins to eject out of the Four Corners Wednesday evening. Though differences remain in the evolution of this upper low in recent guidance solutions, trends towards better consensus has been noted over the past 24 hours. Guidance has begun to hint towards a much more favorable track in this upper low, through central Kansas on Thursday and into southeastern Nebraska by Friday morning. This places the area in a much favorable location for prolonged deformation axis precipitation Thursday into Friday. Guidance solutions that show this solution paint a swath of significant rainfall accumulations (1-2"+) across portions of the area through Friday. Will also have to monitor for p-type changes early Friday morning, largely driven by the diurnal cycle. Any snow accumulations remain low confidence at this time, however. The potential for strong winds will also have to be monitored, as the surface low deepens over northern Kansas as it pushes northeast into southeastern Nebraska with time.Should confidence continue to grow in the track of this system, widespread beneficial rainfall will be possible across much of the area late week. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1126 AM CST Sun Nov 16 2025 The main aviation concern will be the development of MVFR and possibly IFR ceilings across the western Sandhills toward 12Z Monday, developing eastward through 18Z Sunday. Have introduced MVFR ceilings at KLBF by 14Z persisting through 18Z. At KVTN, have MVFR ceilings by 16Z. The timing and duration of the stratus as well as if IFR ceilings develop remains below average confidence. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Brown LONG TERM...Brown AVIATION...Roberg