textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- A few strong thunderstorms are possible this evening, mainly west of Highway 83. Large hail, damaging winds and locally heavy rainfall are possible.

- Strong to severe storms will remain possible Monday and Tuesday, mainly during the late afternoon and evening hours. The area of concern will remain mainly west of Highway 83.

- Periodic disturbances will move through northwest flow aloft, leading to daily chances for showers and thunderstorms Wednesday through Sunday.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 155 PM CDT Sun Aug 23 2026

Late this afternoon and tonight...an upper ridge will remain centered over New Mexico, with a west-northwest flow aloft across the Northern and Central Plains. A disturbance currently located over eastern WY will track southeast across southwest SD and the Nebr. panhandle late this afternoon, with isolated thunderstorms developing. With SBCAPEs exceeding 3500 J/kg west of Highway 61 and efffective bulk shear near 40kts, a few strong storms are possible late this afternoon and evening, mainly west of Highway 83. The severe threat would be large hail, damaging wind gusts and locally heavy rain, with the 18Z KLBF sounding indicating 1.57 inches PWAT. Elevated showers and a few storms will persist this afternoon into tonight across the east, mainly east of Highway 183. This will be where weak WAA exist near 700mb as a weak 700mb trough progresses eateward and the low level jet increases after midnight.

Monday and Monday night...A surface trough is forecast to extend south to north along the eastern panhandle to along the leeside of the Black Hills by mid afternoon. Strong afternoon heating across the west with highs reaching the low to mid 90s. Isolated storms are shown to develop along this surface trough and move east and southeast during the late afternoon and evening hours. A few storms could be strong to severe with large hail with any isolated descrete storms into early evening. With time, storms may merge with cold pools, with damging winds and locally heavy rainfall becoming the primary severe threat into the evening hours. The area of greater concern will be for areas west of Valentine through Hayes Center, where SPC has a Slight Risk for severe storms. Instability will be adequate to around 2500 J/kg and effective bulk shear near 40kts. Storms will gradually diminish and exit southeastern areas after midnight.

LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/

Issued at 155 PM CDT Sun Aug 23 2026

Tuesday, the potential again for strong to severe storms. A warm front is shown to extend across the southern panhandle to near the NE/KS border. Moderate instability and 35KT of effective shear will be present to support scattered storms mainly south of HIghway 2. A Slight Risk for severe storms is forecast by SPC for areas generally south of I80.

The active pattern continues Wednesday through Sunday, as an upper ridge center persists across AZ and NM. This will place the region in northwest flow aloft, favorable for evening and overnight convection.

High temperatures will range mostly in the low to mid 80s Wednesday through Thursday, then heating into the low 90s western Sandhills and southwest Friday through Sunday.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/

Issued at 1218 PM CDT Sun Aug 23 2026

Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms will continue this afternoon into tonight east of the KLBF and KVTN terminals. Other isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms will develop late this afternoon and evening across the western Sandhills, and are expected to remain west of the terminals. At KLBF a southeast wind with gusts to 25KT are expected until 00Z, with light southeast winds below 12KT after 00Z and overnight. At KVTN, a southeast wind with gust to 25Kt this afternoon and evening, with a light southeast wind after 05Z.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.