textproduct: Omaha/Valley

KEY MESSAGES

- Warmer, but still below-normal temperatures in the upper 20s and mid 30s today.

- Colder temperatures move back in Thursday and Friday with lows dropping below zero again Saturday morning and wind chills as low as -10 to -20.

- Light accumulating snow chances Thursday into early Friday (30-60%) and again Saturday into Saturday night (30-50%).

DISCUSSION

Issued at 131 AM CST Wed Jan 28 2026

Today through Friday...

A band of midlevel clouds blanketed the region early last night, keeping temperatures from dropping too quickly. However, it began to erode around midnight, and by 1AM, most locations had dipped into the teens and low 20s, with light winds.

Upper ridging over the Four-Corners region will shift eastward today, quickly followed by a shortwave trough pushing into the Rockies from the west coast. The ridge will allow warmer air to advect back into the region. Highs this afternoon will reach a few degrees higher than yesterday, generally up to the low to mid 30s. However, this "warm-up" will be short-lived, as a backdoor cold front moves in from the northeast Wednesday afternoon, dropping Thursday's highs back into low 20s.

The previously mentioned shortwave will pass to the southwest Thursday, with a surface low developing over the southern plains. This system will draw moisture in from the northwest, allowing a band of light snow to develop from northwest to southeast late tonight through Thursday (30-60%). Overall, ensemble plumes indicate an inch or less of snow accumulation is expected, however a stripe of slightly higher amounts would be possible if a frontogenesis band is able to establish itself. The greatest risk for over an inch would be across far northeast Nebraska, with lesser amounts expected to the southeast.

A more robust trough will drop south out of the Great Lakes on Friday, as a surface high builds into the northern Plains. This will both push moisture, and any lingering snowfall, off to our southwest, and bring a resurgence of cold air back into the region. Highs on Friday are only expected to reach the positive teens. Friday night, low temperatures are expected to dip into the single digits below 0, however wind chills will feel more like - 10 to -20.

The Weekend and Beyond...

Another clipper system will draw a cold front through the northern Plains this weekend, bringing another chance for light snow Saturday through Sunday (30-50%). However, the details of this system still remain pretty hazy with little consensus amongst model solutions.

The good news is models do hint at an upper ridge building into the nation's midsection early next week, bringing warmer air with it. Both the latest 6-10 and 8-14 day outlooks from the CPC continue to paint us with at least a 50-60% chance for temperatures to rise above normal.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1054 AM CST Wed Jan 28 2026

VFR conditions are expected to prevail through at least the first half of the forecast period. Calm northeasterly winds will prevail with increasing mid and high level clouds through the evening. Overnight, a band of light snow will work in from the north. The highest confidence in seeing snow will be at KOFK and KLNK (60% chance), with lower chances at KOMA (20% chance). All terminals will see overcast ceilings decreasing through the overnight period, with patchy MVFR conditions possible as snow moves in.

OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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