textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Unseasonably warm and dry conditions persist Monday through Wednesday, with some threat for elevated fire concerns continuing. - Cooler temperatures arrive Thursday with a chance for wintry precipitation Thursday night into Friday, though chances remain low at 20-30 percent.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 128 PM CST Sun Jan 4 2026

An upper ridge axis will reside just east of the area tonight with an upper trough along the West Coast. A trough of surface low pressure will extend from eastern Montana south through western Kansas. Increasing high cloudiness tonight. Lows will be mild for this time of year in the low 30s with winds light and variable to light southwest.

Monday, another unseasonably warm day with highs near 30 degrees above normal. Considerable high cloudiness in the morning with clearing in the afternoon. Westerly winds in the afternoon 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 20 mph in the western Sandhills. Again went with the warmer NBM 50th percentile for highs from 60 to 65 degrees across much of the area. Fire weather concerns will also persist with elevated fire weather conditions. Westerly winds will be lighter, with the higher gusts limited to 20 mph across the western Sandhills.

LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/

Issued at 128 PM CST Sun Jan 4 2026

Very mild and dry conditions persist Tuesday through Wednesday, with quasi-zonal flow aloft. This will bring persistent westerly downslope winds across the area, and keep highs much above average. Highs to still reach the mid 50s to near 60 each day. The mild temperatures and gusty westerly winds across the west will continue to bring elevated fire weather concerns both days.

The GFS and ECMWF deterministic bring a cold front through Wednesday night, with cooler highs in the mid to upper 40s Thursday. An upper trough moving across Thursday into Friday bring a 20 to 30 percent chance for mainly light snow Thursday night into Friday. The ECMWF ensemble members show a higher potential for light snow accumulations during this timeframe, though the GEFS and CMC do not currently support this, with the precipitation remaining southeast of the area. Regardless, trends will need to be monitored closely as this will be the next shot at accumulating snow for portions of western and north central Nebraska.

Highs Friday 40 to 45 and upper 30s to mid 40s Saturday, then back to around 50 next Sunday, which are still 5 to 15 degrees above normal each day.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 512 PM CST Sun Jan 4 2026

Continued dry and VFR conditions are expected through Monday afternoon. Outside of some high clouds late Monday afternoon, skies will remain clear to mostly clear with winds under 12 knots.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.