Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS North Platte, NE

Current Version |  Previous Version |  Text Only |  Print | Product List |  Glossary Off
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43
-- Highlight Changed Discussion --
-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
647 FXUS63 KLBF 230520 AFDLBF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 1220 AM CDT Sun Jun 23 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Some potential for isolated strong to severe thunderstorms late Sunday and again late Monday along/east of Highway 83. - Hot on Monday with potential for hazardous heat index values across central and western Nebraska. - Thunderstorms with increasing potential for locally heavy rainfall mid to late week. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... Issued at 440 PM CDT Sat Jun 22 2024 High pressure building down into eastern Nebraska tonight will bring quiet weather to the region with lows generally around 60. As the high quickly moves off to our southeast return flow on the back side of the high will allow southerly winds to usher hot air back into central and western Nebraska by tomorrow as afternoon readings peak well into the 90s but a bit cooler to the northeast. As a dry line starts to push in from the west during the afternoon unstable air will pool along and east of Hwy 83. There is some capping in the core of the greatest instability along the Hwy 183 corridor, lapse rates aloft are not overly steep, and the synoptic environment is not particularly robust in this conditional environment but forcing from the dry line and a low level jet starting to nose into the region from the south early Sunday evening look to be enough to support at least isolated thunderstorm development despite most mesoscale guidance showing reluctance to develop convection. Storms that do manage to form will have 0-6km bulk shear around 30kt and modestly curved hodographs aid organization with enough chunky CAPE aloft to support a large hail threat and DCAPE values of 1500J/kg with steep low level lapse rates in a hot boundary layer will aid efficient wind production for a damaging wind threat. SPC Day 2 Marginal Risk centered on south central Nebraska seems about right and will have to monitor outflow boundaries capable of initiating convection as the propagate away from this area. The convective threat will wane early Sunday night with loss of diurnal heating, some dissipation of elevated instability, and the dry line retreats westward. Lows Sunday night will generally be in the middle 60s. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... Issued at 440 PM CDT Sat Jun 22 2024 Monday is shaping up to be hot with EFI/SoT guidance showing a trend for well above normal heat across central and western Nebraska. Anticipate triple digit highs along and south of Interstate 80 with readings well into the 90s further to the north, potentially elevating heat index values to hazardous levels. Will monitor heat potential closely to see if headlines become warranted. The convective environment remains conditional on Monday due to some capping, though the dry line pushing eastward again during the afternoon followed by a cold front moving through late may provide enough forcing to trigger convection. There will be a substantial pool of instability mainly east of Highway 183 with CAPE values approaching 4000J/kg along with steep low level lapse rates and substantial DCAPE values around 2000J/kg but shear is not as robust with small hodographs and 0-6km bulk shear generally in the 20 to 30kt range. Anticipate widely scattered storms will develop with best potential for severe storms east of Hwy 83 from south central up toward northeast Nebraska with primarily a wind/hail threat with loss of diurnal heating and passage of the cold front bringing an end to convection overnight. Thereafter, the High Plains will remain under a mean ridge with a series of waves moving through the northern tier of states periodically suppressing the amplitude of the ridge. Ensemble guidance shows an increase in precipitable water values during the latter portion of the workweek with values rising above the 90th percentile as moisture with a tropical connection streams up from the southwest. This will continue our warm temperatures and bring potential for diurnally biased showers/thunderstorms each day from midweek onward, along with potential for excessive rainfall working up form the southwest by the end of the week. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
Issued at 1218 AM CDT Sun Jun 23 2024 VFR is generally expected across wrn/ncntl Nebraska overnight, Sunday and Sunday evening. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible along and east of highway 83 from 20z Sunday through 03z Sunday evening. There are no other flight concerns.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...MBS LONG TERM...MBS AVIATION...CDC