textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Hot temperatures with highs in the 90s and lower 100s, will return Sunday into Monday across the western sandhills and southwest with increasing fire danger in the western half of the forecast area.

- Cooler with a chance for showers and thunderstorms Monday night into Wednesday night.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/

Issued at 212 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

Tonight and Saturday...Surface high pressure will build across western Nebraska tonight with a clear sky, light and variable wind and lows in the mid 50s. On Saturday, upper level ridging will build from the Desert Southwest into the North Plains. This will bring sunny skies ans a warmup to the upper 80s and lower 90s west of highway 83, with low to mid 80s to the east. Winds will remain light, with a return of light southerly winds to the western Sandhills. While sunny skies are expected, there will be an increase in atmospheric smoke across the region from ongoing fires in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.

Saturday night and Sunday...Southerly winds will increase across the northwest Sandhills Saturday night with gusts to 30 mph. This will keep overnight lows up into the low to mid 60s, with upper 50s across the remainder of the area. On Sunday, the upper ridge will extend from the Four Corners Region into the Central Plains and western Great Lakes. This will bring much warmer temperatures from the mid 90s to near 100 degrees to the western Sandhills and southwest. As the surface pressure gradient increases, southerly winds will range from 15 to 25 mph, with gusts to near 40 mph across portions of the western Sandhills. This will bring near critical, to possibly critical fire weather conditions to areas west of Highway 83. Confidence is increasing that a Fire Weather Watch may be needed. Details can be found in the Fire Weather section below.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 212 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

Monday...Highs to range in the 90s, with near 100 possible across southwest NE. NBM probabilities of 100 degrees or warmer are from 30 to near 60 percent across southwest Nebraska. The upper ridge will break down across the Northern Plains as an upper trough moves into Montana. This will bring a cold front across northeast Wyoming and western South Dakota into northwest Nebraska. Another day of increased fire weather concerns, especially west of Highway 83. Details can be found in the Fire Weather section below.

A cold front is forecast to move through the forecast area Monday night and stall out across northern Kansas through Wednesday night. This will bring increased chances for showers and thunderstorms Monday night through Wednesday night. This also bring a cooldown with highs Tuesday only in the mid 70s north central to low 80s southwest, with upper 70s to mid 80s Wednesday.

Thursday into Friday...Looks mainly dry with highs by Friday with highs returning to the 90s.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 1217 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

VFR conditions will continue the next 24 hours at the KLBF and KVTN terminals. Northerly winds will remain gusty this afternoon to around 25KT, then diminishing after 21Z, with light and variable winds expected after 01Z through the remainder of the TAF period.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 212 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

Sunday afternoon, southerly winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph are possible across the western Sandhills. With highs reaching the mid 90s to near 100 degrees across the western Sandhills and southwest, near critical, and possibly critical fire weather conditions are possible west of highway 83, as minimum RH falls to 15 to 25 percent. Rainfall deficits continue to be a concern across the western Sandhills, with severe to exceptional drought conditions persisting. Confidence is increasing that a fire weather watch may be needed.

Near critical, and possibly critical fire weather conditions are possible again Monday afternoon west of highway 83, as minimum RH falls to 15 to 30 percent, and southerly winds continue at 15 to 35 mph. A wind shift to the north late Monday afternoon and early evening across the northwest Sandhills will be an additional concern.

Fire weather conditions will lessen Tuesday into Thursday as cooler temperatures and the threat for precipitation will increase.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.