textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Strong to severe storms remain possible today, with the main threats remaining large hail and damaging wind gusts.

- Cooler temperatures expected Wednesday. Additional showers and thunderstorms are possible Wednesday evening. The severe risk is less certain and will largely depend on how Tuesday/Tuesday night's storms impact the environment.

- Precipitation chances will continue Thursday through Monday, mainly during the evening and overnight hours.

- Above normal highs expected Friday through the weekend, with highs mainly in the upper 80s to lower 90s.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 234 AM CDT Tue Aug 25 2026

Overnight, showers and thunderstorms may continue to persist across portions of the forecast region. The cold front that initiated last evening's storms has mostly stalled out over northwest Nebraska, and is expected to slowly track southeast. As the environment remains fairly worked over from the previous evening's storms, not expecting much of a severe threat overnight, though some locally heavy rainfall amounts will remain possible. A few of these showers and thunderstorms may linger into the morning hours, but again, expecting a relatively low severe risk with early morning thunderstorms.

Attention then turns to the afternoon. Much will depend on how far south the frontal boundary can push during the overnight and early morning hours. Also important will be how long showers and thunderstorms persist this morning. If the overnight storms last longer into the morning, this may help limit the ability for greater instability values to build across the region. For now, guidance continues to suggest a slower moving cold front, which favors a second round of showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon across the Sandhills. With marginal instability building back across the region by the afternoon and slightly increasing deep layer shear, some of the storms firing along the front may once again become strong to severe. At this time, the main threats once again appears to be large hail and potentially damaging wind gusts. Thinking the wind threat will be greatest should storms organize more linearly along the front prior to tracking southeast. PWATs still remain over 1 inch for most of the region, so any storms may also pose a risk for locally heavy rainfall, as well. With this front expected to continue a slow forward speed, may see showers and thunderstorms lasting into the overnight hours again, mostly across southwest into central Nebraska. However, if this front does track a bit quicker than expected, then we may see lower rain chances overnight, with potential for some spots to see no additional rainfall after midnight.

With the front expected to be out of the region on Wednesday, expect to see some cooler temperatures, with highs in the low to mid 80s. Still expect to see upper level ridging, and combined with the post frontal regime, this should limit precipitation potential Wednesday morning into the afternoon. However, by late afternoon into the evening, expecting another subtle shortwave to track through the upper level flow, which may trigger a few showers and thunderstorms across western portions of the region. As storms track east- southeast, may see some additional rain chances across portions of the Panhandle into the Sandhills and southwest Nebraska. With a little less ambient moisture available, not expecting these showers and thunderstorms to bring heavy rainfall. The overall severe weather threat also remains on the lower side at this time, as deep layer shear is expected to be fairly light. Will continue to keep an eye on this period as well, as there is some potential for hail and strong winds, but much will depend on the evolution of the mesoscale environment the next few days.

LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/

Issued at 234 AM CDT Tue Aug 25 2026

Upper level ridging across the Rockies and Desert Southwest on Thursday will flatten out across the Northern and Central Plains Friday and into the weekend. Surface high pressure over the Great Lakes and middle Mississippi Valley on Thursday will bring highs near normal from 80 to 85 degrees. Some convection is expected to occur east of the upper ridge axis into western Nebraska, with at least a slight chance for showers and storms during the evening and overnight. Friday through Sunday, the upper ridge will flatten out as an upper trough moves across the southern Canadian Prairies. This will bring a quasi-zonal flow aloft and above normal temperatures from 85 to the low 90s Friday, near 90 to the mid 90s Saturday, and upper 80s to lower 90s Sunday. Southerly winds 15 to 35 mph are expected Friday, with lighter southwesterly winds Saturday and Sunday. The more active weather will reside to our north across the Dakota. However, a slight chance to low chance POPS will extend south into western Nebraska, mainly during the evening and overnight hours each day. By Monday, and easterly low level flow and highs falling back into the mid to upper 80s.

Despite daily opportunities for showers and thunderstorms, NBM 48 hour probabilities for at least 0.25" ending Saturday morning is only 15 to 25 percent and only 5 to 15 percent for the 48 hour period ending Monday morning.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1229 PM CDT Tue Aug 25 2026

VFR conditions are expected outside of any thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are possible (around a 30% to 50% chance) from around 04z to 08z or 09z for KLBF. Winds will be fairly light at around 5 to 10 knots and will generally range from the north to the east this afternoon into this evening before becoming more variable around 06z.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.