Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS North Platte, NE

Current Version |  Previous Version |  Graphics & Text |  Print | Product List |  Glossary On
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
-- Remove Highlighting --
-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
570 FXUS63 KLBF 281809 AFDLBF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 109 PM CDT Fri Jun 28 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - A Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe storms across most of western and north central Nebraska. The main severe concerns will be significant hail and damaging winds. - Chances of showers and thunderstorms remain through mid week. - Fluctuating temperatures through the end of the week, with Monday expected to the the hottest day. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/... Issued at 412 AM CDT Fri Jun 28 2024 Ample moisture remains behind the passing cold front, with overnight dewpoints remaining in the upper 50s to low 60s behind the cold front. Daytime heating will allow for marginal CAPE to develop, and upper level flow will set up generally long, straight hodographs. Low to mid level lapse rates this afternoon will be supportive of convection developing over eastern portions of Wyoming and Colorado, with storms eventually tracking east. As storms track into Nebraska, they will encounter an environment of marginal CAPE, low CIN, and mostly unidirectional shear. The environment will favor discrete cells, with the main threats being large hail and damaging winds. The Storm Prediction Center has placed a Slight Risk across most of the state of Nebraska, with a Marginal Risk running along portions of northern Nebraska. Of highest concern, will be areas in the Sandhills, western Nebraska, and southwest Nebraska, where SPC is concerned about significant hail greater than 2 inches and damaging wind gusts in excess of 70 miles per hour. Overnight CAM guidance continues to produce strong, isolated cells capable of producing hail and damaging winds this afternoon into the evening. The main forecast question will be whether forcing for storms is sufficient to produce organized convection. Storms may continue to linger through Saturday morning, before moving out of the area. Behind the low pressure system, temperatures remain more on the mild side Saturday, generally in the 70s across the region. Saturday also looks to be a quiet period in terms of precipitation, with no additional rain expected after showers and storms move out in the morning. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... Issued at 412 AM CDT Fri Jun 28 2024 A fairly progressive upper level pattern keeps precipitation chances around through mid week. Upper level ridging moves over the region on Sunday, with a weak upper level disturbance tracking through the flow. This brings slight chances of precipitation across the Panhandle and north central Nebraska on Sunday, with the rest of the region mostly remaining dry. This sets the stage for climbing temperatures on Monday, particularly across southwest Nebraska, where temperatures may climb into the upper 90s to lower 100s. In addition to the heat, an upper level trough sets up to the west on Monday, bringing another chance of showers and thunderstorms across the region. The upper level trough is expected to stall out over the western United States, with a series of embedded shortwaves passing through the flow. This will contribute to precipitation chances remaining through at least mid week, before the trough eventually begins to track east. Fluctuating temperatures continue through the week. Interestingly, there is quite a significant spread in guidance on temperatures near the end of the week. Current NBM guidance shows a double digit spread in temperature values between the 25th and 75th percentiles. As the models gain better traction on the series of systems, that spread should decrease, and provide more reliable temperature guidance as the week progresses. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
Issued at 1245 PM CDT Fri Jun 28 2024 Scattered thunderstorms are expected to move southeast across southwest Nebraska late this afternoon. Otherwise expected VFR conditions to prevail across all of the area. Winds will increase from the north late tonight into Saturday morning as a cold front moves southward through the region.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Richie LONG TERM...Richie AVIATION...Gomez