textproduct: Omaha/Valley

KEY MESSAGES

- A band of snow is expected to bring at least minor travel impacts to parts of the area Friday into Friday night. The highest chances will be in far northeast Nebraska into west- central Iowa. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued generally east of line from Pender to Onawa to Harlan. A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect as far west of as a Verdigre to Pierce to Stanton line and north a line from Stanton to Tekamah.

- Travel impacts will become more widespread Saturday as snow overspreads the area and a few places see some light icing. In addition, gusty northwest winds will lead to some blowing and drifting snow, including into Saturday evening after snow ends. A Winter Weather Advisory expands south to include the Omaha and Council Bluffs metropolitan areas.

- Bitter cold is set after Saturday's system, with highs mostly in the 20s and lows falling into the single digits and teens through Tuesday morning.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 445 PM CST Thu Nov 27 2025

The forecast during the overnight hours will be relatively chilly but quiet. Daybreak Friday will bring increasing chances of snow across far northeast Nebraska, with light snow or flurries making to the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro by afternoon as warm air advection increases. Not too confident on precipitation potential east central Nebraska and south, with channeled mid-level flow. Additionally, moistening of the atmosphere takes its time during the day Friday, with soundings depicting drier near surface air, thus precipitation may evaporate before reaching the ground. Friday evening and overnight, large scale ascent improves as short-wave drops southward into the Inter-Mountain area, then deepens as it moves across the central and southern plains on Saturday.

With forecast area remaining in the relative warm-sector overnight Friday until mid-day Saturday, believe there will convective element to precipitation initially with EPV in the -0.5 to -1.0 range being depicted, thus mixed phase precipitation is expected, impacting the I-80 corridor. Trended toward mushy sleet versus freezing rain. "Warm" nose is not as evident with a sampling of soundings generally below 1-2C. Diabatic effects could allow low level thermal profile to to extend longer into the day on Saturday. Cyclonic stream of the warm conveyor belt evolves during the day on Saturday and enhancing frontogenesis, and likely will see an increase in snow banding potential,though currently not confident in where this may set up. There is a wide variance in the greatest snowfall totals based on WPC superensemble with bi-model clustering in the 2-5 inch and 6-8 inch range, with the more members being depicted in the lower range. As such mean in setting out around 5 inches for OMA-FET line, trending 2-4 OMA- LNK or OMA-OLU and OMA- OFK. Better potential for Council Bluffs eastward along the I-80 corridor to see amounts approaching or exceeding warning criteria. Even better potential across northwest Iowa in the area now in a Winter Storm Warning. In tandem with snow, increase in low level surface gradient as surface low moves south and east across Kansas into Missouri will lead to increase in winds into the 20-30 mph range, leading to blowing snow in tandem with falling snow. Snow should completely exit east by midnight Saturday night with winds tapering off shortly thereafter. Currently expect final greatest snowfall totals of 4-6 inches east of line from Hartington to Omaha to Red Oax, with 6-8 inches east of line from Winnebago to Mondamin to Avoca.

Colder air settles into the region Sunday into Tuesday, with little apparent recovery in at temperatures. Highs will be in the upper teens and twenties, with lows in the single digits and low teens. Another PV anomaly moves across the southern plains area Monday night, bringing perhaps measurable snow to extreme southern part of the forecast area. Upper levels become more channeled thereafter, thus forecast remains dry Tuesday through next Thursday. Should see recovery of temperatures with modest upper level ridging occurring in broader cyclonic flow that will envelope CONUS.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 536 PM CST Thu Nov 27 2025

VFR conditions are expected to prevail through the majority of the forecast period. The period will start out with light northerly winds, gradually shifting to easterly overnight and eventually southeasterly late Friday morning. Winds will increase in speed Friday afternoon, with southeasterly gusts of 20-25 kts in the final few hours of the forecast period. Winds will continue to increase after the forecast period.

Snow chances (30% chance) move into the KOFK area Friday morning (28/12-16Z), though confidence is too low in snowfall reaching the ground to include in the TAF package at this time. Towards the end and just after the forecast period, ceilings will become overcast and decrease, with increasing chances for snow at KOMA and KOFK, and a rain/snow mix towards KLNK.

OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...Winter Storm Warning from noon Friday to midnight CST Saturday night for NEZ015. Winter Weather Advisory from 3 PM Friday to midnight CST Saturday night for NEZ031-043>045-052-053. Winter Weather Advisory from 9 AM Friday to midnight CST Saturday night for NEZ011-012-017-018-032>034. IA...Winter Storm Warning from noon Friday to midnight CST Saturday night for IAZ043-055-056. Winter Weather Advisory from 3 PM Friday to midnight CST Saturday night for IAZ069-079-080.