textproduct: Omaha/Valley

KEY MESSAGES

- Flurries and light snow showers are possible (20-40% chance) this afternoon and early evening, mainly across northeast Nebraska.

- A brief warmup is expected Monday into Tuesday, with highs in the 30s on Monday, rising to the 40s and low 50s on Tuesday.

- Precipitation chances increase late Wednesday into Thursday (25-50%), followed by a return to cooler conditions by the end of the workweek.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 126 PM CST Sun Dec 7 2025

Tonight through Tuesday...

Water vapor imagery and objective analysis this afternoon depicts a broad, mid- to upper-level trough over the eastern two-thirds of the CONUS, while riding continues to build into the western CONUS. At the surface, a corridor of high pressure stretching from the SD/ND/MN border into northeast NE is being pushed eastward as a shortwave disturbance pushes into central NE/SD. Ahead of the wave, continued CAA and mostly cloudy skies has kept afternoon highs in the chilly 20s. The passage of the wave later this afternoon into early evening will bring a chance for light snow, with PoPs ranging from 20-40%. Forcing for ascent is strongest along the NE/SD border and diminishes to the south, so light snow chances decrease moving into southeast NE and southwest IA. QPF remains limited, generally under 0.05", so accumulations are expected to be a light. A dusting is most likely, though a narrow swath in northeast Nebraska could approach a quick 0.5" (20% chance). The primary impact will be a few slick spots and minor reductions in visibility under any snow showers that are able to hold together.

Following the wave's passage, surface winds will shift to southerly, allowing warmer air to return to the region. A shift to zonal to northwesterly flow aloft will also support some additional downslope warming. Cloud cover will begin to break up and improve overnight, allowing radiational cooling to bring overnight lows in the teens and wind chills in the single digits. Monday afternoon highs will climb into the 30s and low 40s. The warming trend will continue into Tuesday, with highs reaching the 40s and potentially the low 50s in east-central Nebraska. The upper-level pattern will remain active, but any significant wave passages and associated precipitation will largely remain north and east of the area. A clipper system passing to the our north from midday Tuesday into early Wednesday will tighten the surface pressure gradient, producing northwesterly wind gusts of 30-35+ mph.

Wednesday and Beyond...

A pattern shift is expected Wednesday into Thursday as a shortwave disturbance pivots around the larger eastern CONUS trough and moves into the region, bringing a ribbon of enhanced vorticity and frontogenesis. Highs will dip into the 30s on Wednesday as precipitation chances increase late Wednesday into Thursday, with PoPs of 25-50% in place. Precipitation is likely to begin as a rain/snow mix before transitioning to all snow. GEFS and EPS/EPS-AIFS ensemble members are generally in agreement of a 1-2" band of snow tracking from the Dakotas into eastern NE, though confidence is lower for how far south the band will reach, as the strongest forcing for ascent remains to the north. Ensemble guidance indicates a 20-40% probability of 1" of snow across northeast Nebraska, decreasing to around 10% along the I-80 corridor.

Behind this system, a second surge of cool Arctic air will settle in under strong north-northwesterly flow aloft, pushing Friday and Saturday highs down into the teens across the area.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/

Issued at 1058 AM CST Sun Dec 7 2025

VFR to IFR conditions prevail late this morning as varying low- level cloud decks push across the area. IFR conditions at KOFK and KLNK should gradually improve to MVFR into the early afternoon, while KOMA varies between VFR and MVFR. A warm front pushing across the area later this afternoon into the early evening will bring continued MVFR conditions and a chance (15-30%) for light snow. KOFK has the highest confidence in seeing this light snow, with low confidence in impacts at KOMA and KLNK. Northeasterly winds of 8-12 kts ahead of the front will calm and veer to southerly with the fronts passage. Behind the front, conditions will improve to VFR at all terminals.

OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...None. IA...None.