879  
FXUS63 KGID 202317  
AFDGID  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE  
617 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE (15-25%) THIS EVENING NORTH  
OF I80 AND FOR NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA  
TOMORROW MORNING BETWEEN 3-8AM.  
 
- THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK (LEVEL 2 OF 5) FOR STRONG TO SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. MAIN  
HAZARDS INCLUDE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  
 
- NEAR-NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE FORECAST  
PERIOD, WITH PEAK TEMPERATURES TOMORROW IN THE 80S-90S.  
 
- PERIODIC SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT  
WEEK, STARTING SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 128 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
TODAY  
WEAK CONVERGENCE AMID THE NW FLOW ALOFT WILL ALLOW FOR CLEAR  
SKIES AND HIGHS TO INCREASE INTO THE 80S-LOW 90S THIS AFTERNOON.  
WITHIN THIS FLOW ALOFT IS A SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE ALONG THE  
MN/CANADIAN BORDER, SUPPORTING A WEAK SURFACE LOW AND A WEAK COLD  
FRONT STRETCHED ACROSS THE DAKOTAS. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO  
MOVE SOUTHWARD, POTENTIALLY FORCING SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS  
INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA AFTER 4PM, SUGGESTED BY EARLIER MODEL  
GUIDANCE. HOWEVER, IT IS UNCERTAIN HOW FAR THE COLD FRONT WILL  
MAKE IT GIVEN THE MARGINAL UPPER-LEVEL SUPPORT. IN FACT, RECENT  
HRRR AND RRFS GUIDANCE HAST THIS FRONT STALLING OUT IN NORTHERN  
NEBRASKA, KEEPING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES LIMITED TO NORTH OF I80.  
SHOULD A THUNDERSTORM FORM, CAPE VALUES AROUND 2000-2500 J/KG  
AND SHEAR IN EXCESS OF 40 KTS COULD ALLOW SOME STRONG TO SEVERE  
STORMS, WITH MAIN HAZARDS BEING GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AND STRONG  
WIND GUSTS OF 60+ MPH. WHILE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE,  
MOST OF THE AREA WILL REMAIN DRY THIS EVENING.  
 
TOMORROW (FRIDAY)  
WHILE NOT OVERLY CONFIDENT, THERE IS A CHANCE OF  
FOG TOMORROW MORNING, MAINLY FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA, WITH  
AMPLE LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE AND WEAK SURFACE WINDS. HOWEVER, MODEL  
GUIDANCE IS NOT AS AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS FOG AS THEY WERE THIS  
MORNING. THE MAIN UNCERTAINTY IS THE COVERAGE OF THESE EVENING  
STORMS AND IF SKIES ARE ABLE TO CLEAR FOR SUFFICIENT RADIATIVE  
COOLING. ADDITIONALLY, SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE  
(15-25%) FOR THE NE PORTIONS OF THE AREA TOMORROW MORNING  
BETWEEN 3-8AM DUE TO SOME WEAK WAA ADVECTION AT 850 MB. A FEW OF  
THESE MAY BE ON THE STRONG TO SEVERE SIDE. TOMORROW AFTERNOON  
IS EXPECTED TO BE CLEAR AND DRY, ALLOWING HIGHS TO PEAK IN THE  
UPPER 80S TO MID 90S.  
 
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TOMORROW DURING THE EVENING TO  
OVERNIGHT HOURS. RECENT MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS ISOLATED  
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST OF THE AREA AROUND 6-  
8PM, CONGEALING INTO A COMPLEX SOMEWHERE OVER THE AREA. SOME OF  
THESE STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE, AS MODELS ARE INDICATING 2500+  
J/KG OF SBCAPE AND 45+ KT OF 0-6KM SHEAR. HOWEVER, THE LOCATION AND  
TIMING OF THIS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT REMAINS UNCERTAIN.  
 
SATURDAY AND BEYOND  
AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CONTINUES TO EXPAND  
ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST, MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED SATURDAY, WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S. HOWEVER, THE CHANCE  
FOR SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY  
MORNING AS A WEAK SHORTWAVE EMERGES FROM THE NW FLOW ALOFT.  
ADDITIONAL OFF AND ON SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE INTO  
EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A BROADER TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 612 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:  
 
VFR CONDITIONS FAVORED THROUGHOUT TAF PERIOD. A THUNDERSTORM  
NEAR KBBW IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN WEST OF KGRI, BUT MAY CLIP KEAR  
BRIEFLY, SO A TEMPO GROUP WAS INCLUDED ALONG WITH BREEZY/GUSTY  
WINDS IN THE STORM. THE STORM MAY ALSO DISSIPATE BEFORE REACHING  
KEAR, BUT FELT CURRENT STRENGTH/TRACK OF STORM WARRANTED THE  
TEMPO GROUP. OUTSIDE OF THE NEXT FEW HOURS, WINDS BECOME LIGHT  
AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT, BECOMING EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY FRIDAY  
AFTERNOON. SCT-BKN MID-HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT  
THE TAF PERIOD.  
 
THERE IS A LOW CHANCE FOR FOG DEVELOPMENT TONIGHT, BUT OVERALL  
CHANCES LOOK TO BE BEST NORTH OF KGRI/KEAR. ADDITIONALLY,  
ISOLATED STORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY MORNING, AND COULD IMPACT  
KGRI. THERE IS A LOT OF SPREAD IN MODEL GUIDANCE ON THE  
LOCATION OF THESE STORMS, SO A PROB30 MENTION WAS OMITTED.  
 
 
   
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NE...NONE.  
KS...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...SCOTT  
AVIATION...DAVIS  
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