478
FXUS63 KLBF 152320
AFDLBF

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service North Platte NE
520 PM CST Mon Dec 15 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Above normal temperatures and dry into Wednesday.

- Cooler on Thursday with gusty northwest winds up to 40 to 45 mph
Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

- Dry for the end of the week into the weekend with above normal
temperatures continuing.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 314 PM CST Mon Dec 15 2025

Weak upper level ridging combined with surface high pressure will
keep conditions dry into Wednesday. Warm air advection with 850 mb
temperatures in the 12 to 16 C range will usher in a return to
temperatures well above normal through Wednesday as well. Have
increased highs both days a few degrees as plenty of sunshine and
lack of snowpack should allow temperatures to easily increase
throughout the day. High temperatures on both days will rise into
the upper 50s to low 60s which is nearly 15 to 20 degrees above
normal (normal low 40s). Low temperatures will also be 10 to 15
degrees above normal (normal low to mid teens) with forecasted lows
in the mid 20s to low 30s both tonight and Tuesday night.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
Issued at 314 PM CST Mon Dec 15 2025

A developing low pressure system across the northern Dakotas will
drag a cold front across the region on Wednesday evening and into
the overnight hours. This front may result in some scattered
precipitation across the Panhandle and into the Sandhills during the
evening before pushing eastward by sunrise Thursday morning. For the
most part, precipitation is expected to be mostly all rain, however,
as temperatures fall Wednesday evening, some rain/snow mix may be
possible across portions of the Pine Ridge region. Accumulations at
this time are expected to be minimal if at all as precipitation will
quickly push through and to the east.

The bigger concern with this system will be the increasing winds
Wednesday night and into Thursday. As the low develops over the
Dakotas and tracks eastward into the upper Mississippi River valley
Wednesday night, the pressure gradient will tighten across Nebraska.
This will result in a rapid increase of winds as they switch from
westerly to northwesterly. Latest probabilities suggest the
potential of getting over 40 mph winds to be 50 to 60 percent, and
the potential of over 45 up to 40 percent. At this time, have put
gusts up of up to 40 mph into the forecast, but with probabilities
indicating a high likelihood of higher speeds, would not be
surprised to see the winds in the going forecast to also increase to
at least 45 mph, or even up to 50 mph. The strongest winds will be
between 3am and 11am CT before winds begin to diminish throughout
Thursday afternoon.

A dry forecast returns for the end of the week and into the weekend.
After temperatures drop back to near normal on Thursday, warmer air
pushes back by the end of the week with temperatures returning into
the upper 50s to mid 60s on Friday. Slightly cooler, but still above
normal temperatures continue through the weekend with highs dropping
back into the upper 40s to mid 50s.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 520 PM CST Mon Dec 15 2025

Over the next 24 hours, expect some higher clouds to drift into
western and north central Nebraska from South Dakota. Coverage
will be scattered over southern Nebraska and scattered to broken
over northern Nebraska. Ceilings will run around 25000 FT AGL.
Winds will be from the west or northwest at around 10 KTS
through Tuesday morning at KVTN and KLBF for the next 24 hours.
Some wind gusts up to 20 KTS are possible at the KVTN terminal
Tuesday afternoon.

&&

.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Kulik
LONG TERM...Kulik
AVIATION...Buttler