


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Omaha/Valley, NE
Issued by NWS Omaha/Valley, NE
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324 FXUS63 KOAX 101954 AFDOAX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 254 PM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Strong to severe storms expected this evening, with greatest potential for northeast Nebraska & west-central Iowa. All hazards possible, with damaging winds and flash flooding as the biggest concerns. - Severe storms remain possible on Friday afternoon and evening, too, but lower chance (level 1 out of 5 risk from SPC). Primary hazards damaging winds and hail. - Temperatures cool slightly on Saturday before warming up Sunday through Tuesday. Active weather returns next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 137 PM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025 A line of storms is slowly drifting northeast this morning, which the Convective Allowing Models (CAMs) haven`t had the best handle on. Satellite and the 500-mb RAP Analysis show two distinct shortwaves approaching the area, one from the northwest over central South Dakota and the second from the west over the triple-point of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado. These two are forecast to merge later today, merging a couple of convective complexes into a line of storms which will move across our area. The preceding environment is fairly juicy with CAPE forecast to increase from 1500-3000 J/kg over the next few hours. Shear is looking strong as well, with 30-40kts of 0-3km bulk shear which will help organize storms into a strong line that should remain balance heightening potential for damaging winds, especially across northeast Nebraska. Low-level shear vectors will also become more orthogonal to the line with time, which could lead to some potential for brief tornadoes. One hindering factor could be LCL heights which will be on the higher side. Areas along and south of the Platte River should see cloud bases stay above 2000-3000 ft which significantly lowers the tornado potential. Areas in northeast Nebraska, though, will have lower LCLs, which is why the better tornado potential (5% from SPC) is highlighting this area. Now for timing and evolution of storms. Since the line has lifted north to near the state line, we expect discrete cells to start to initiate in the Oneill, Knox County, Antelope County region around 3-4 PM. At the same time, storms will start to initiate in east-central Nebraska around Merrick, Nance, Boone, and Platte counties associated with the southern shortwave. These two areas of cells will merge, becoming a single complex of storms by around 7 PM this evening, with a strong cold pool forecast to develop behind the northern portion of the line. The best chance for severe weather, again, will be across northeast Nebraska, but potential for damaging winds and hail will be possible across all of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa as the line moves through. The line of storms will be approaching Lincoln around 9-10 PM, and move into the Omaha metro around 10-11 PM. The severe threat should be wrapping up by around midnight as the front line of storms moves east into central Iowa. Once the front line moves through, the concern shifts to heavy rain and flooding as PWATs are in the 1.5-2 inch range, and we see potential for a second surge of storms associated with a third shortwave trek along a remnant boundary near the Platte River. With this we likely will see some training storms over areas already saturated from earlier rainfall. Overall, we`ll likely see a broad swath of rain overnight of 1-1.5 inches, with localized areas seeing 5+ inches. With significant potential for flash flooding across the region along and north of the Platte River, we went ahead and issued a Flash Flood Watch for much of northeast Nebraska and west-central Iowa through 7 AM tomorrow morning. Showers should be exiting the area towards daybreak on Friday, with rain chances dropping to around 20-30%, mainly for southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa for the rest of Friday morning. Rain will clear first from northeast Nebraska with some potential for fog development after midnight, hanging around through mid-morning on Friday. The Storm Prediction Center has shifted the Slight Risk that was over southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa for Friday afternoon east and out of our area, but we still will have a marginal (level 1 out of 5) risk as storms could redevelop along the remnant boundary Friday afternoon. We also have the upper-level trough moving in Friday evening, ramping up potential for additional showers and storms across northeast Nebraska and west-central Iowa Friday evening. With these systems, shear will be much weaker so the possibility for storms to organize themselves and become severe is lower. Despite the lower severe potential, saturated ground and rivers/creeks running high will lead to another chance for flash flooding Friday night. Over the weekend, the pattern dries out giving us a break from storms and allowing water to drain into our bigger rivers. Depending on just how much rain we get over the next couple of days, we could see main-stem rivers approach or rise over flood stage. Weather-wise, temperatures should be cooler on Saturday with highs in the low 80s. The upper-level ridge starts to push back inland Sunday into early next week, bringing back warmer temperatures starting Sunday and we`ll see the return of an active northwesterly flow pattern next week. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1256 PM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025 A line of storms is currently oriented northwest to southeast stretching from KOFK down to around KFET. This has shown a distinct weakening trend over the past hour, and should continue lifting northeastward this afternoon. Expect scattered storms to develop this afternoon around 20-23Z in northeast Nebraska, likely impacting KOFK, converging into a line of storms that will move southeastward into KLNK and KOMA later tonight around 04Z. Damaging winds likely with portions of this line of storms with gusts 50-75kt possible as well as quarter-size hail. Cigs should remain high, around FL070-100, but vis under storms may drop as low as 1/2sm at times. Storms should move out of KOFK around 04-05Z, and around 09-10Z at KLNK and KOMA. With storms moving out of KOFK fairly early in the night and winds becoming light, there is a good potential for areas of fog to develop in northeast Nebraska, impacting KOFK, generally from around 09-14Z. Otherwise, VFR conditions should return to the terminals once heavier showers end and fog clears. Winds will remain light through Friday morning, generally out of the southeast. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...Flood Watch through Friday morning for NEZ012-015-017-018- 031>034-042>045-050>053. IA...Flood Watch through Friday morning for IAZ043-055-056-069. && $$ DISCUSSION...McCoy AVIATION...McCoy