textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Cooler today with increasing chances for showers and a few thunderstorms in the western Sandhills this afternoon.

- A slow moving upper level low pressure system will bring good chances for showers and some thunderstorms tonight through Sunday night.

- Below average temperatures are expected for much of next week due to a Canadian airmass that settles southward into the region. Chances for rain continue, especially Monday, and then again Wednesday into Wednesday night.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 118 AM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

Broad southwesterly flow persists aloft across the area ahead of an upper low currently located over southern Idaho. Surface low pressure will become located across west central Kansas into southwest Iowa this morning with a weak cold front in place across western Nebraska. Stratus will extend across much of the area this morning, with patchy morning fog north central. Stratus will dissipate across the west and southwest this afternoon while persisting in the north central this afternoon. Highs cooler in the upper 60s to lower 70s, except near 75 far southwest. Winds become northeast 5 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Will see a disturbance in southwest flow aloft move from nctrl CO and sern WY into the panhandle this afternoon, bringing chance POPs to the western Sandhills. As the disturbance lift through western and north central NE tonight, likely POPS mainly west of Highway 83 this evening, with chc to likely pops across north central NE after midnight. With the 00Z LBF sounding showing an anomalously high PWAT of 1.64 inches, some threat for locally heavy rainfall Saturday evening west of Highway 83. Some threat for a few strong storms this evening west of Highway 61.

Sunday, the closed upper low will be located over central Wyoming at 12Z. The upper low will move into southwest South Dakota by late afternoon. Persistent isentropic upglide will favor low cloud ceilings on Sunday. With soundings fairly saturated, it will not take much lift to generate light rain showers. Therefore POPS are likely to categorical through the day across the northwest Sandhills to only a slight chance to low chance POPS portions of southwest into central NE. The upper low will also provide cooler air aloft and steep mid level lapse rates. SBCAPEs may range from 500-750 J/kg with deep layer shear 35-40kts. This will provide the potential for a few strong to severe low-topped storms during the afternoon, mainly west of Highway 83. SPC currently has a Marginal Risk of severe storms from the southern panhandle across far southwest NE, with a Slight Risk in northeast Colorado, just southwest of Chase County. Likely POPs in showers and a few thunderstorms across the western Sandhills into north central Nebraska during the morning, followed by likely to categorical POPs for showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. By late Sunday night, the closed upper low will extend from south central SD into southwest MN. NBM probability of greater than 0.25 inch ending 12Z Monday is from 60 to over 90 percent for areas west of Ogallala through Butte. Highs Sunday will be cooler from the low 60s much of north central and central Nebraska to upper 60s far southwest.

LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/

Issued at 118 AM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

The upper low that has been slowly moving across the High Plains will be in the process of weakening and filling Monday. Still appears that there will be a chance for at least some scattered showers across the area. At the surface, strong surface high pressure should be located across southeast Canada. This will back a cooler Canadian airmass into the region. The coolest weather will be Monday into Tuesday, with expected cloud cover Monday helping to hold temperatures down. In fact, highs Monday may struggle out of the upper 50s across portions of north central Nebraska. Ridging aloft will then translate eastward across the region Tuesday. This should help to bring at least a brief pause in rain chances. It remains cooler than average as the low-level flow will be originating from the high pressure across southeast Canada. Still rather cool Wednesday into Thursday despite winds shifting to the south-southeast. The Canadian airmass will be recycled back northward during this time, so no big warm up is in the offing. A quick moving shortwave then appears it will cross the area Wednesday through Thursday morning. This would be the next chance for rainfall as it crosses the area.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1242 AM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

IFR ceilings across north central NE will develop into southwest and central NE toward 12Z. Ceilings should improve to MVFR after 17Z at KVTN and remain MVFR through the afternoon and evening. At KLBF, MVFR ceilings 12Z-17Z should improve to VFR by 19Z. Scattered showers and thunderstorms in the panhandle are expected to remain west of the terminals early this morning.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.