textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Low chances for showers and a few thunderstorms late tonight into Sunday morning across northeastern areas.

- After very warm temperatures in the 80s Monday, temperatures will trend downward Tuesday continuing through Thursday. Highs will generally be in the 70s those days. By Friday readings will climb back into the lower 80s for western and southwestern areas.

- There will be periodic chances for showers and thunderstorms Sunday night and continuing into the remainder of the work week. The best chances for precipitation appear to be Sunday night into Monday morning over the northern half of the forecast area, and the southern half of the forecast area Monday night through Wednesday night.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/

Issued at 353 AM CDT Sat Sep 12 2026

Today into tonight, surface high pressure will settle over Nebraska today as a cold front drops into southern Kansas. A breezy northeast wind across the south until mid morning, then light east to southeast winds in the afternoon. Could see isolated rain showers across the Sandhills into central NE this morning where adequate mid level moisture exists within fast zonal flow. Much cooler today with highs from 73 to 77, which will be about 5 degrees below normal. Tonight, weak warm air advection will bring low chances for showers and a few thunderstorms after midnight across eastern portions of north central Nebraska. Lows from near 50 to the mid 50s.

Sunday, a warm front will lift into central KS with a stationary front back into southeast WY. A chance for showers and a few thunderstorms in the morning across the east. Highs will contrast from the low 80s far southwest to upper 60s in the east. Confidence in highs is below average, as NBM guidance shows an 8 to 12 degrees difference in the 25th and 75th percentile max Temps. This is more pronounced across southwestern areas. An upper ridge axis will extend across western NE early afternoon with southwest flow across Rockies. A disturbance located from south central WY into north central CO will move into the panhandle by late afternoon with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorm by late afternoon across the northwest Sandhills.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/

Issued at 353 AM CDT Sat Sep 12 2026

Periodic precipitation chances continue to be the main forecast challenge in the long term. Upper level low pressure will track from the Pacific NW into the northern Rockies Sunday into Sunday night. In advance of this feature, a lead shortwave will approach the central Rockies Sunday afternoon. As this feature interacts with a narrow band of favorable thetae and moisture along the front ranges of Colorado and Wyoming, thunderstorms are expected to develop in these areas late Sunday afternoon into the early evening hours. Southwesterly winds will carry this activity east into western Nebraska Sunday evening. A low level jet, oriented from Kansas north into the Nebraska Sandhills, will help to sustain convection into the overnight. ATTM based on the latest deterministic GFS and NAM12 solns, along with the NBM ensemble forecast, areas across the Sandhills into north central Nebraska stand to see the best chances for precipitation Sunday night into Monday morning. In the wake of precipitation Monday, upper level low pressure will track across southern Saskatchewan into southern Manitoba. Deepening surface low pressure in association with the upper level low, will force a cold front into the western Dakotas Monday. This feature will approach northwestern Nebraska Monday afternoon, pushing through the remainder of the forecast area by Monday evening. In advance of this feature, very warm air ahead of the front will lead to highs in the 80s with near 90 in the southwest. In a setup similar to the last 12 hours, westerly winds in advance of the frontal boundary, will limit low level moisture Monday, focusing the threat for precipitation INVOF the front Monday evening. That being said, the best chances for precipitation Monday night into Tuesday will be along the cold front. This favors the southern half of the forecast area. As for severe chances, low level moisture remains meager Monday-even in the southeastern forecast area. Limited CAPE is noted Monday afternoon/evening in the southeast. Given the meager amount of CAPE, believe the severe threat will be limited at best. Overnight Monday night, the front will be forced south into Kansas where it will stall for the next 24 to 36 hours. This will limit precipitation chances Tuesday into Tuesday night across the area. By Wednesday, a deepening trough of low pressure aloft over the intermountain west, will begin to draw the front north bringing better precipitation chances to the southern half of the forecast area Wednesday into Wednesday night. These chances will continue Thursday into Friday as the upper level trough across the intermountain west, slowly transitions east northeast into the northern Rockies.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 555 AM CDT Sat Sep 12 2026

For the KLBF terminal: Skies will scatter out by late morning with scattered ceilings around 25000 FT AGL. In the meantime, ceilings will be around 15000 FT AGL. Skies will remain scattered into the evening hours, before becoming broken after 06z Sunday. For the KVTN terminal: Scattered cloud cover is expected through this evening with ceilings around 25000 FT AGL. Overnight, broken ceilings around 25000 will develop and persist through 12z Sunday.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.