textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Light accumulating snow expected Friday night into Saturday morning across portions of northern Nebraska.

- Very cold Saturday into Sunday morning.

- A return to warm weather is expected the first half of next week.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/

Issued at 248 PM CST Thu Dec 11 2025

Warmer temperatures have returned today across central and western Nebraska to the west of a warm front. In fact, have seen several record highs set. Elevated fire weather concerns will continue until around sunset with gusty west winds combing with the lower humidity and warm temperatures. East of the warm front temperatures have really struggled out of the 30s - but have warmed enough that any light icing from this mornings freezing rain has melted.

The warm front will become nearly stationary this evening, and then begin to back southwest and be located from eastern WY to southern KS by Friday morning. A weak area of mid-level FGEN will be in place across northern Nebraska overnight. Overall forcing is weak and little in the way of precipitation is expected tonight. A reinforcing cold front settles southward into northern Nebraska Friday. FGEN starts to increase with the reinforcing boundary and could lead to some light snow for areas generally along and north of Hwy 20. Little accumulation is expected during the day Friday.

Conditions will become more favorable for snow Friday night into at least the first half of Saturday across northern Nebraska. Strong arctic high pressure will settle southward through the Dakotas with an arctic cold front moving southward through Nebraska during the day Saturday. Meanwhile, strong WAA aloft develops Friday evening and continues through Saturday morning. Initially, snow develops across portions of northern Nebraska in a northwest to southeast oriented band Friday evening. This band will gradually lift northeastward into SD by Saturday morning. This is where the overall heavier snow amounts are expected. As far as snowfall amounts, the probability of 1" or more of snowfall is mainly along and north of Hwy 20. There is a near 80% chance of this occurring across portions of Boyd county, and then decreasing south and westward from there. When looking at 2" the chance decreases significantly - so fairly confident in a 1-2" snowfall event for the above mentioned areas Friday night into Saturday morning. Very cold Saturday behind the arctic front, with quite a range in temperatures. Highs may struggle to hit 10 degrees across eastern portions of north central Nebraska. Meanwhile, highs in the lower 40s should be realized across far southwest Nebraska.

LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 248 PM CST Thu Dec 11 2025

Bitter cold expected across portions of north central Nebraska Saturday night into Sunday morning. Skies will begin to clear as arctic surface high pressure slides southeastward down the Missouri River Valley. Winds will be light, but with lows approaching -5F, even light winds will create wind chills around -15F.

The high slides off to the east Sunday with return southerly low- level flow developing. Low-level WAA develops with the return southerly flow. A quick warm up beneath west to northwest flow aloft through the middle of next week. Highs back into the 60s, especially across western Nebraska both Tuesday and Wednesday.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 520 PM CST Thu Dec 11 2025

A cold front will track through the forecast area through early evening. This will lead to a shift in wind direction to the north or northeast across the area and bring IFR ceilings to northern Nebraska. These ceilings will impact the KVTN terminal with ceilings ranging from 500 to 900 FT AGL through Friday morning. Some improvement in ceilings are expected over northern Nebraska Friday with broken skies ranging from 1200 to 2000 FT AGL at the KVTN terminal. For the KLBF terminal, ceilings will gradually fall overnight, reaching 1500 to 3000 FT AGL Friday morning. These ceilings will persist through Friday afternoon.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.