textproduct: Omaha/Valley

KEY MESSAGES

- Strong to severe storms are possible Friday afternoon and evening across far eastern Nebraska and western Iowa with the potential for damaging wind and hail.

- Strong to severe storms are possible again on Saturday with the potential for a complex of thunderstorms producing damaging winds and hail across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

- Wildfire smoke continues to move overhead from the northwest. Most of this smoke remains high in the atmosphere, with only a small amount reaching the surface.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 103 PM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026

A weak cold front has sagged into our region this afternoon. This front extends from an area of low pressure near the Great Lakes. The front is expected to slowly push south through the region through the remainder of this afternoon and evening. Showers and thunderstorms are possible along the front, but subsidence on the backside of a shortwave trough moving across the Upper Mississippi River Valley is suppressing much of this potential. That said, portions of far eastern Nebraska and western Iowa have a low chance of severe weather should a thunderstorm be able to develop. The main concern will be damaging winds and hail if any thunderstorms become severe. Otherwise, much of the area will be sunny with high temperatures in the upper 80s to near 90. While it may be sunny, skies may appear milky as wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest is being carried over the region. Little to no surface impact is expected from this smoke however.

The cold front will begin to lift northwards with the aid of a low-level jet Saturday morning. At the same time, a shortwave impulse will quickly move across the north-central Plains. Convective-allowing ensembles continue to show showers and thunderstorms developing over central Nebraska early in the morning. These may form into a thunderstorm complex that moves across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa later in the morning through the early afternoon. It remains uncertain if this complex becomes severe and how long it persists into our region. That said, if a complex does form, damaging winds and hail would be the primary concerns with this. Clouds and any precipitation from the complex should keep temperatures a touch cooler during Saturday afternoon. Heading into late Saturday night and Sunday morning, another low-level jet will impinge on the area. Showers and thunderstorms will again be possible, mainly across western Iowa. Severe weather may be possible with damaging winds and hail once again. Wildfire smoke will continue to waft over the area on Saturday.

Heading through Sunday, temperatures increase slightly as the ridge over the southwest builds slightly. Temperatures are likely to push into the low 90s as a result. This will be short-lived though as a shortwave rounding the ridge pushes into the area Sunday night into Monday morning. These repeated troughs in the northwest flow aloft continue into next week and will keep at least weak surface troughing across the region with active weather anticipated. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms is likely heading through next week as this pattern generally holds, though overall troughing over the Great Lakes increases. Wildfire smoke will continue to waft over the region. Rain chances are largely focused overnight into the morning hours in association with the low-level jet. Severe weather may continue to be possible as moderate winds aloft and sufficient instability should support at least some threat of organized severe convection. With the repeated thunderstorms, temperatures gradually dip through the 80s early next week. Temperatures may even reach the 70s for highs late in the week.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 607 PM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026

VFR conditions will continue over the next 24 hours with mostly clear skies forecast. Winds will will become light and variable... mostly out of the north through the night before emerging out of the east after sunrise. Speeds pick up after sunrise, averaging speeds of 10-15 knots with gusts near 20 knots.

OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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