Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Omaha/Valley, NE
Issued by NWS Omaha/Valley, NE
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365 FXUS63 KOAX 032130 AFDOAX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 330 PM CST Wed Dec 3 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Temperatures fall this evening into the overnight and winds diminish. Most see frigid lows ranging from 0 to -10F by Thursday morning. Wind chills of -10 to -20F are expected north of Interstate 80 Thursday morning as wind speeds increase again. - Dry and cold conditions expected for Thursday. Highs warm to the low to mid 30s for Friday. - Cold temperatures return Saturday and Sunday. A 20-40% chance of snow exists on Saturday. Highs warm to the upper 30s to mid 40s Monday and Tuesday && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 330 PM CST Wed Dec 3 2025 .SHORT TERM.../TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/ Sfc cold front has now pushed well southeast of the forecast area this afternoon. Strong H8 cold air advection has resulted in temperatures falling throughout the day with many areas already having reached their highs. Strong subsidence from the trailing sfc high currently in the Dakotas has kept pesky stratus across far western and northwest areas too, while sunshine is observed across the rest of the area. Winds have been rather breezy with most seeing north northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph and gusts of 25 to 30 mph. Looking aloft, RAP 19z objective analysis at H5 shows a longwave trof across Ontario extending southeast into northern Minnesota, leaving much of the Northern Plains in northwesterly flow. Despite most locations seeing sun this afternoon, temperatures will continue to fall. Winds weaken late this afternoon into the evening as the sfc high moves over the forecast area. The pesky stratus should erode too resulting in clearing skies. The light winds and clear skies will result in pretty good radiational cooling, so have lowered minimum temperatures from NBM guidance a degree or two for tonight. Most areas will see frigid lows in the 0 to -10F range, and records may potentially be broken at Lincoln (-3F record low in 1902). Winds speeds will pick up by Thursday morning resulting in wind chill values of -10 to -20F primarily north of Interstate 80. Those who plan to venture outside tomorrow morning should plan to bundle up. Expect a mix of clouds and sun Thursday with dry conditions. The cold air will linger, especially across far eastern Nebraska into western Iowa where highs in the mid teens to low 20s are forecast. Slightly warmer highs are expected across far northwest portions of our service area (low 30s) as H8 warm air advection returns given the baroclinic zone lifts east northeast. Winds will also be breezy from the southwest as the sfc pressure gradient tightens again. Lows Thursday night will still be chilly, with most areas seeing low teens to low 20s. .LONG TERM.../FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/ H5 northwest flow continues on Friday as a weak shortwave trof rounding the base of more potent longwave over northern Manitoba into western Ontario ejects southeast. Current model guidance shows the best Q-vector convergence and implied forcing for ascent primarily north and east of the area. Moisture appears limited too, so have kept latest NBM solution which keeps the area dry. With the aforementioned H8 baroclinic zone moving northeast on Thursday, Friday should be warmer with most seeing highs in the low to mid 30s and maybe pushing 40F across our far western fringes. The parent H5 longwave trof should help induce cyclogenesis across northern Ontario, and the sfc cold front from said feature should extend well southeast into the Northern Plains Friday. The front should be at our doorstep by Friday night, crossing the area early Saturday. With more H8 cold air advection funneling in, expect temperatures to dip on Saturday with highs in the mid 20s to low 30s north of Interstate 80, and mid 30s near the Nebraska/Kansas border. A shortwave will eject from the Wyoming/Montana area toward the Nebraska Panhandle/northeast Colorado on Saturday morning. Ensemble and deterministic guidance keys in on a developing sfc low with the feature, but quite a bit of spread exists with where the sfc low will track. Notably, the EPS ensemble shows the most spread with the sfc low track, potentially taking the low into eastern Nebraska, while the majority of GEFS and CMC ensembles keep the sfc low well west of the area. Regardless of the low track, H7-H5 Q-vector convergence and implied lift should overspread a good chunk of the forecast area on Saturday. The mid level wave and sfc feature should have some moisture to work with resulting in a 20 to 40% chance for snow across the forecast area. Deterministic and ensemble guidance shows varying locations in where the snow band will develop at this time as expected, likely within the deformation zone of said low. Regarding snowfall amounts, latest LREF suite suggests most areas seeing less than a half inch at best, primarily across northeast Nebraska. Details regarding this disturbance track and snowfall amounts are likely to change in the coming days, so please stay tuned to the forecast for updates. Chilly temperatures return for Sunday as we`ll be behind the front, with most seeing highs in the mid teens to mid 20s. Lows Saturday night and Sunday night will be frigid in the single digits to low teens. Temperatures are expected to warm again to the upper 30s to mid 40s by Monday and Tuesday as 1000-500mb thicknesses increase and overspread much of the Central Plains. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1149 AM CST Wed Dec 3 2025 MVFR and VFR ceilings are observed at the start of the TAF period. Satellite imagery is showing gradual clearing at KOMA, while stratus lingers across KOFK and KLNK. MVFR ceilings may linger at KOFK and KLNK through at least 00 and 03z, respectively. 20 to 25kt wind gusts from the north northwest will continue into the afternoon hours, largely subsiding by 00z. Winds turn to the south southwest overnight, becoming gusty again especially at KOFK by 16z. Finally, a few hi-res models try to develop fog/MVFR ceilings across all three terminals overnight, but confidence remains too low for mention in TAF at this time. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. IA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Castillo AVIATION...Castillo