textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Dense fog expected across southwest Nebraska and the southern Sandhills through the early morning hours. Visibility expected to drop under one quarter mile at times, including along Interstate 80.

- Showers and thunderstorms are expected to persist across southwest into central Nebraska over the next few days. This may bring additional rainfall amounts between one tenth to one quarter of an inch.

- A return of warmer and drier conditions is expected into the weekend and early next week.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 305 AM CDT Wed Apr 29 2026

The recent rainfall has brought a resurgence of moisture across southwest Nebraska, with dewpoints in the lower to mid 30s. Overnight, as temperatures cool near freezing, this will cause high relative humidity, around 90 to 100%. Surface winds remain mostly light and variable tonight, so expect that the light winds and high humidity will cause areas of fog development overnight. In fact, short range ensembles bring around an 80 percent chance for visibility to drop below one mile tonight, and remain near 80 percent for visibility under one quarter mile at times along the Interstate 80 corridor. With the high confidence in fog development overnight, and strong signals for dense fog overnight, have decided to issue a Dense Fog Advisory for southwest Nebraska into the southern Sandhills. Drivers should exercise caution overnight into the early morning hours, as visibility may rapidly decrease.

Light winds persist into the morning, which will allow fog to linger into the mid to late morning hours. This will keep a fairly moist environment ahead of a front along the front range of the Rockies, which is expected to provide a focus for additional showers and thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening. Forecast soundings suggest a little bit of elevated CAPE, generally in the 200-400 J/kg range, which should support some thunderstorm development. However, given the relatively weak CAPE and shear, not expecting storms to reach severe levels. However, some stronger rain showers may be possible with thunderstorm activity, which may bring additional rain amounts of one tenth to one quarter of an inch. With the expected showers and thunderstorms, as well as persistent cloud cover, trended high temperatures towards slightly cooler guidance, keeping temperatures near seasonal in the afternoon.

Cloud cover persists overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, helping keep overnight lows in the 30s across the region. A cold front is expected to track south across the Dakotas into north central Nebraska Wednesday night, meaning rain showers may continue through the night mostly across southwest Nebraska, along and south of the Interstate 80 corridor. For this portion of the region, overnight lows are expected to remain above 35 degrees, so expect that precipitation will remain as rain showers throughout the night, but cannot completely rule out some lighter flurries where localized temperatures are on the cooler side. However, given the light precipitation expected, not anticipating any impacts from precipitation Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

As with Wednesday, fairly persistent cloud cover will keep daytime highs near seasonal Thursday afternoon, with highs ranging from the mid 50s to lower 60s. Showers may linger through the morning hours and into the early afternoon as the cold front exits the region. With the cooler post frontal temperatures Thursday afternoon, expecting that precipitation remains rain showers, with low chances for a rumble of thunder. With the front pushing through the region, winds shift to northerly around 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon.

LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/

Issued at 305 AM CDT Wed Apr 29 2026

Upper ridging establishes across the Intermountain West by Friday morning, with heights rising aloft locally as it does. This upper ridge will then begin to slowly push east into the Rockies this weekend. Increasing warm advection will boost highs back into the 60s for Friday and into the 70s for the weekend and into early next week. These warmer temperatures will bring a return of lower humidity across the area, with minimum afternoon humidity in the teens to 20s each day this weekend and early next week. That said, recent rainfall and cooler temperatures may lead to more favorable fuel conditions, and could keep any fire concerns lowered.

Some threat for precipitation may return Sunday night into Monday and again on Tuesday into Wednesday. The first of these arrives as a shortwave rounds the apex of the ridge axis and this could lead to precipitation across portions of the area. This round looks to remain light at best, though confidence remains low for now. The second is as deeper upper troughing begins to eject east into the Plains by Wednesday morning, leading to ridge breakdown and a return of southwesterly flow aloft. This much deeper system looks to bring a swath of heavier precipitation somewhere across the Plains, though confidence in where remains low for now. Trends will continue to be monitored, as this could bring another round of beneficial precipitation to the area.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 625 AM CDT Wed Apr 29 2026

Low stratus and fog will persist across portions of the Sandhills and southwest Nebraska through late morning, before VFR returns for all terminals by early afternoon. VFR conditions are then expected to prevail through tomorrow morning across all of western and north central Nebraska.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible this afternoon, with a threat for gusty, erratic winds and brief MVFR visibilities.

Winds remain from the northwest this afternoon at 5 to 10kts. Winds are then expected to become light and variable overnight.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Dense Fog Advisory until 9 AM CDT /8 AM MDT/ this morning for NEZ022>024-035>038-056>059-069>071.