textproduct: Omaha/Valley

KEY MESSAGES

- Cooler weather continues with the potential for morning frost for northeast Nebraska on Wednesday.

- Shower/thunderstorm chances return Wednesday night into Thursday continuing on/off through Friday.

- Trend back toward warmer temperatures over the weekend.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1215 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026

Today and Tonight...

Northerly winds behind yesterday's cold front yielded cooler temperatures and gradually clearing skies as high pressure shifted into the Central Plains. Overnight, temperatures dipped into the mid 40s as winds gusted out of the north at 20 to 30 mph. By noon, temperatures had reached the mid 50s. Skies will clear through the evening in northeast Nebraska, before scattered cloud cover begins to build back in early Wednesday morning. Under the high pressure and mostly clear skies, temperatures will drop well below normal overnight. Lows are expected to bottom out in the low 40s in far southeast Nebraska/southwest Iowa, and the low to mid 30s across northeast Nebraska. Light winds combined with the cool temps could lead to areas of frost over northeast Nebraska, especially in low lying areas. Therefore, a Frost Advisory has been issued for locations along and north of a line from Columbus to Fremont, NE, to Soldier, Iowa.

Wednesday through Thursday...

High pressure slides east of the forecast area Wednesday, as a shortwave ripples out of the Rockies. Temperatures will rise back into the upper 50s and low 60s Wednesday and Thursday. Lows will remain slightly warmer than Wednesday morning, under southerly return flow, only dipping into the low and mid 40s.

A few showers will sneak across the forecast area with the advancing shortwave Wednesday night through Thursday. While a few rumbles of thunder may be possible, forecast soundings indicate little to no instability available with cooler temperatures, likely precluding the chance for strong or severe storms.

Thursday Night and Beyond...

An upper low will drop south out of Canada into the Central Plains Thursday night and Friday, bringing increasing chances for showers and storms through the end of the week. While current model solutions keep the more potent instability to our south over Kansas and Oklahoma, variations remain in the timing and track of this system. As such, it will be worth keeping an eye on for severe potential, as solutions come into better agreement.

Although we may have to contend with ongoing convection and cloudy skies, southerly low level flow will draw slightly warmer temperatures into the region Friday, allowing highs to reach the mid 60s.

A cold front looks to pass through the region late Friday/early Saturday, but is quickly followed by a ridge building into the desert southwest. This will push warmer air back into the plains for the upcoming weekend. The current forecast calls for highs into the low 70s on Saturday and upper 70s to low 80s Sunday.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 623 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026

VFR conditions expected through the period with lingering 3500-5000 ft clouds dissipating this evening. Additional 3500 ft clouds look to develop Wednesday morning and last through the afternoon. Winds will start northerly and gradually turn clockwise, settling at northeasterly at OMA and LNK, and southeasterly at OFK with speeds generally remaining under 10 kts.

OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...Frost Advisory from 1 AM to 8 AM CDT Wednesday for NEZ011-012- 015>018-030>034-042>044. IA...Frost Advisory from 1 AM to 8 AM CDT Wednesday for IAZ043.