textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Another mild day Wednesday. Windy across the north central with southwest winds gusting to 45 mph at times.

- A cold frontal passage Wednesday evening with northwest winds up to 45 mph possible.

- High Wind Watch Thursday. Northwest winds may gust to 60 mph or higher at times.

- Colder on Thursday, with above normal temperatures returning into the weekend and early next week.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 221 PM CST Tue Dec 16 2025

A Clipper System will develop across southern Alberta late tonight. Mild temperatures aloft tonight, with another strong inversion developing and morning lows in the upper 20s.

Wednesday, the Clipper System will move into northeast Montana. A deep trough of surface low pressure will develop from western South Dakota south along the Colorado Front Range, with surface pressure as low as 990mb to 995mb. A tight surface pressure gradient across north central Nebraska and strong winds aloft support southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to around 45 mph possible. With mainly overcast skies in the afternoon, this may limit deep mixing. Another mild day, with highs in the upper 50s to near 60.

LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/

Issued at 221 PM CST Tue Dec 16 2025

Wednesday night, the clipper system will will move into south central North Dakota. This will drive a cold front quickly south across the forecast area during the evening. Could see brief gusts to 50 mph during the cold frontal passage. Also a chance for light rain across nctrl NE with sprinkles possible as far south as I80. The light rain across the north should end before the cold air moves in. Northwest winds increase behind the front before daybreak, with gusts to 50 mph near the NE/SD border.

Thursday, A High Wind Watch in effect from 6 AM until 6 PM CST across all of western and north central Nebraska. With a closed upper low moving from eastern SD mid morning to northern IA mid afternoon, a tight H5 and H7 gradient exists for deep mixing. With H7 winds from 70-80kts, guidance supports frequent gusts from 40 to 55 kts. Much colder air drops south with highs only near 30 far northeast zones, with upper 30s to around 40 southwest NE.

Surface high pressure builds in Thursday evening with light winds. Lows from the upper teens to low 20s. Much warmer Friday with quasi-zonal flow and westerly H85 winds. Highs range in the 60s across much of the area with near 70 far southwest. A cold front Friday night, with cooler, yet still above normal highs Saturday from 45 to around 55, and lows 40s to low 50s Sunday.

A broad upper ridge early next week with highs in the 50s to low 60s.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1220 PM CST Tue Dec 16 2025

Broken high cloudiness currently across western and north central Nebraska will improve to few to scattered late afternoon into tonight. Northwest winds to 12kts this afternoon diminish tonight. Gusty southwest winds begin 14Z Wednesday at KVTN and 17Z at KLBF, with gusts to above 25kts.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 221 PM CST Tue Dec 16 2025

Elevated fire weather conditions Wednesday, mainly across north central Nebraska. Southwest winds may gust to 45 mph at times with afternoon humidity as low as 30 percent. Cloudy skies in the afternoon will be a limiting factor.

Elevated fire conditions again Thursday across the entire forecast area. Although highs will only range from 30 to 40 degrees, strong northwest winds as high as 35 to 45 mph will gust to 50 to 60 mph, and briefly as high as 70 mph. Afternoon humidity as low as 30 to 40 percent.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

High Wind Watch from Thursday morning through Thursday afternoon for NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094.