180
FXUS63 KGID 041743
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1143 AM CST WED FEB 4 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- A MIX OF SNOW/FREEZING DRIZZLE MOVES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST ACROSS
THE AREA THIS MORNING. LOCALIZED ACCUMULATIONS OF A LIGHT
GLAZE OF ICE AND/OR A DUSTING OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE.
- WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARRIVE THURSDAY AND CONTINUE
INTO NEXT WEEK. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE UPPER 40S TO MID 60S.
- DRY WEATHER EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.
UPDATE
ISSUED AT 251 AM CST WED FEB 4 2026
LOW STRATUS CURRENTLY RESIDES ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE
FORECAST AREA, WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 30S UNDER STRATUS.
TO THE WEST, UNDER PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES, TEMPERATURES HAVE SUNK
INTO THE 20S. ALOFT, A TROUGH IS DEEPENING OVER THE
PLAINS/MIDWEST WITH A LOBE OF ENERGY EMBEDDED WITHIN THE BROADER
TROUGHING DIVING TOWARDS THE AREA. THIS WILL PUSH A BAND OF
PRECIPITATION TOWARDS THE AREA. FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND SURFACE
TEMPERATURES NEAR TO BELOW FREEZING FAVOR A MIX OF SNOW AND
FREEZING DRIZZLE, WHICH WILL SLIDE SOUTH- SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE
AREA THROUGHOUT THE MORNING HOURS. WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATIONS DO
NOT APPEAR LIKELY, BUT LOCALIZED AREAS COULD SEE A LIGHT GLAZE
OF ICE AND/OR A DUSTING OF SNOW WHICH COULD RESULT IN SLICK
SPOTS ON ROADS AND SURFACES. SNOW/FREEZING DRIZZLE IS EXPECTED
TO EXIT SOUTH/SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA BY THE EARLY
AFTERNOON HOURS. SKIES CLEAR THIS AFTERNOON, BECOMING MOSTLY
CLEAR THIS EVENING. HIGHS TODAY WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 30S IN
THE EAST WHERE STRATUS LINGERS THE LONGEST, TO THE UPPER 40S IN
THE WEST.
OTHERWISE THE WARM UP THROUGH THE REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD
REMAINS ON TRACK, WITH HIGHS SOARING INTO THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S
ON THURSDAY. IF HIGHS ON THURSDAY WERE TO OVERPERFORM THE CURRENT
FORECAST, GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS COULD APPROACH RECORDS (GRI/HSI
FORECAST 61 DEGREES. GRI RECORD 65, HSI RECORD 66). HIGHS IN THE 50S
AND 60S CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR
PRECIPITATION WILL ARRIVE MID-WEEK NEXT WEEK THOUGH THE DETAILS
REMAIN UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 323 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2026
TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...
A BROAD UPPER TROUGH COVERS THE EASTERN 2/3RDS OF THE COUNTRY WITH
AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE WEST COAST. NORTHERLY WINDS ARE ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. A SURFACE
HIGH IS CENTERED OVER MINNESOTA AND EXTENDS SOUTHWARD TO TEXAS. THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA ARE GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF
HIGHWAY 81 WITH THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY
183. AREAS OF RAIN MAY IMPACT WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA
THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. ANOTHER ROUND OF PRECIPITATION IS
EXPECTED TO MOVE IN FROM THE NORTH WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE
PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY MOSTLY BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING THEN TRANSITION TO FREEZING DRIZZLE/FREEZING RAIN
LATER IN THE MORNING AS THE DENDRITIC GROW ZONE BECOMES DRY
WITH A SATURATED LAYER BETWEEN 0 AND -10 DEGREES C. THE
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO END BY EARLY TO MID WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON. LITTLE TO NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED (LESS THAN
1 INCH). SOME LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE (UP TO 0.01
INCHES). LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE 20S. HIGH
TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 30S TO
AROUND 50 DEGREES WITH NORTHERLY WINDS. LOW TEMPERATURES
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS NIGHT.
THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY...
THE UPPER TROUGH WILL BE FURTHER EAST ON THURSDAY WITH THE UPPER
RIDGE OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL BE ACROSS
THE AREA ON THURSDAY WITH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO WARM UP INTO THE
50S AND 60S. THE WARM-UP WILL CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LOWS
IN THE 30S. THE UPPER RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO THE PLAINS ON
FRIDAY WITH A SURFACE HIGH EXTENDING FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS/UPPER
MIDWEST TO OKLAHOMA. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH HIGH
TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY DUE TO BOUNDARY PLACEMENT, BUT EXPECT HIGHS
TO GENERALLY BE IN THE 50S. THE REGION WILL BE ON THE BACKSIDE OF
THE SURFACE HIGH FRIDAY NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES COOLING INTO THE 20S
ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM UP INTO THE MID 50S
TO MID 60S ON SATURDAY AS WINDS WILL MOSTLY BE OUT OF THE SOUTH.
SIMILAR TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ON SUNDAY. A FURTHER WARM UP IS
EXPECTED ON MONDAY AS WINDS INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST. HIGH
TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY ARE EXPECTED TO MOSTLY BE IN THE 60S.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 1124 AM CST WED FEB 4 2026
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
A DECK OF LOW-LEVEL STRATUS HANGS AROUND ACROSS THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON WITH MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO COME TO AN END
BETWEEN 20-22Z (FIRST AT KEAR). CLOUDS WILL RETURN OVERNIGHT,
THOUGH VFR CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY HANG OUT THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD (>80% CONFIDENCE). BEYOND THE CLOUDS,
STRONG WINDS ALONG THE AXIS OF A NORTHERLY LOW-LEVEL JET WILL
INTRODUCE AROUND 40-45KTS OF LLWS BETWEEN MAINLY 11 AND 16Z
THURSDAY.
NORTHERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE THIS AFTERNOON WILL BELOW
BETWEEN 10-15KTS TODAY WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS MAINTAINING
THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WIND DIRECTIONS FOR THURSDAY WILL
START OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST EARLY IN THE DAY BEFORE TURNING
TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST IN THE LATER PART OF THE DAY. WINDS WILL
BLOW BETWEEN 10-20KTS WITH GUSTS OCCASIONALLY AS HIGH AS
25-30KTS THURSDAY AFTERNOON. NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED
THROUGH THE PERIOD.
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.
UPDATE...DAVIS
DISCUSSION...SCHULDT
AVIATION...STUMP
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