textproduct: North Platte

KEY MESSAGES

- Mainly quiet conditions are expected this afternoon with the main threat for thunderstorms off to the east of the forecast area.

- Mainly dry and much warmer temperatures will arrive on Saturday and Sunday with highs in the 90s.

- After slightly "cooler" highs in the 80s Monday, readings will climb back into the mid to upper 90s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with possible highs reaching 100+ degrees Wednesday and Thursday.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/

Issued at 246 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026

Ongoing convection over northern portions of the forecast area is expected to exit the forecast area by sunrise this morning. Ongoing convection and a weak mid level trough of low pressure, traversing North Dakota into Minnesota, will force a frontal boundary south through the forecast area today. By this afternoon, this feature is expected to lie from northwestern Kansas into south central and southeastern Nebraska. This feature will serve as the focal point for storm initiation, especially over south central into southeastern Nebraska this afternoon as rich low level moisture pools along the front in south central and southeastern Nebraska. The latest CAMS initiate convection just off to the east of the forecast area this afternoon and keep it out of the forecast area. The latest NBM ensemble forecast has less than a 10 percent for > 0.01 inches of precipitation today in the far eastern forecast area. That being said, decided to take out the mention of precipitation this afternoon and tonight. As for highs today, with the frontal boundary expected to be south of the forecast area, decided to lower highs with the greatest modifications along and north of I-80. Left some mid to upper 80s across southwestern Nebraska. Low amplitude ridging will build into the central and northern plains on Saturday. Much warmer air will lift north into the forecast area Saturday with highs reaching well into the 90s with dry conditions forecast.

LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 246 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026

Low amplitude ridging will transition east Sunday, followed by the development of a broad, low amplitude trough of low pressure aloft across the western CONUS. Gulf moisture will persist Sunday and Monday across the area and will keep temps from torching out. However, by Tuesday, low level moisture is driven east as a persistent surface trough of low pressure develops across western Nebraska. With drier air expected and strong warm air advection from the desert southwest, highs will reach well into the 90s Tuesday through Thursday, and have a decent probability of topping the century mark Tuesday and Wednesday. In fact the latest MEX guidance has highs around 100 for North Platte Tuesday and Wednesday. The latest NBM ensembles have a 40 % chance for topping 100 degrees Tuesday for North Platte. By Wednesday, this probability increases to 70 %. FWIW, record highs for next Wednesday are 102, 101, 101 and 104 for North Platte, Valentine, Broken Bow and Imperial respectively. The current forecast would break or tie record highs Wednesday for all the locations mentioned above with the exception of Valentine. As for precipitation chances in the extended, the best chances appear to be on Sunday night mainly over the western half of the forecast area. Other than Sunday night, the threat for organized precipitation appears fairly low per the latest NBM ensemble forecast.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 644 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026

Local IFR ceilings will persist through mid-morning across central into southwest Nebraska. These will lift with all areas VFR late this morning through tonight. Surface winds will be east to northeast at 5-15 kts.

LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.