341  
FXUS63 KLBF 180756  
AFDLBF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE  
256 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- A LIGHT ACCUMULATION OF SNOW MAY CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL  
CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS MORNING FROM THE WESTERN SANDHILLS  
INTO THE PANHANDLE, ESPECIALLY UP NEAR THE PINE RIDGE.  
 
- TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL TODAY ACROSS CENTRAL AND  
WESTERN NEBRASKA, THEN TRENDING WARMER THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
- POTENTIAL FOR SOME LIGHT RAIN EAST OF HWY 83 ON SUNDAY.  
 
- PATTERN FAVORING INCREASING MOISTURE BECOMES ESTABLISHED BY  
THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR  
MEANINGFUL PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE LATTER PORTION OF NEXT  
WEEK.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/  
 
ISSUED AT 255 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
 
A STEADY SUPPLY OF SHORT WAVE ENERGY IS COMBINING WITH ABUNDANT  
UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG JET PUSHING UP FROM  
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA TO THE NORTHEAST TO DRIVE A NARROW BAND OF  
PRECIPITATION FROM THE PANHANDLE THORUGH NORTHWEST NEBRASKA  
EARLY THIS MORNING, AS WELL AS A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EAST  
OF HWY 281 CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SOME SMALL HAIL. ANTICIPATE THE  
CONVECTION IN THE EAST WILL BE EPHEMERAL AND DIMINISHING OVER  
THE NEXT 2 HOURS, THOUGH THE PRECIPITATION IN THE WEST WILL BE  
AROUND FOR A WHILE LONGER. MOISTURE IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED WITH NO  
FEED STREAMING UP FROM THE GULF BUT WATER VAPOR SATELLITE  
IMAGERY SHOWS A DECENT SUPPLY OF MOISTURE FROM THE PACIFIC TO  
AID PRECIPITATION DEVELOPMENT. GIVEN THE GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS  
USHERING COOLER AIR DOWN FROM THE NORTH EXPECT A RAIN-TO-SNOW  
PTYPE TRANSITION TO CONTINUE ACROSS WESTERN/NORTHWESTERN  
NEBRASKA.  
 
PROBABILISTIC GUIDANCE INDICATES ABOUT A 50 PERCENT CHANCE FOR  
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE INCH OR MORE GENERALLY BOTH  
NORTH OF HWY 2 AND WEST OF HWY 83 AND THERE IS A BETTER THAN  
EVEN CHANCE FOR TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 INCHES OR MORE UP NEAR  
THE PINE RIDGE. THERE MAY EVEN BE SOME MEASURABLE SNOW ALL THE  
WAY SOUTH TO I-80 WEST OF SUTHERLAND. ANTICIPATE THE HIGHEST  
PRECIPITATION INTENSITIES WILL OCCUR ACROSS NORTHWEST NEBRASKA  
BEFORE DAYBREAK WITH INTENSITY DIMINISHING AS THE BEST DYNAMIC  
FORCING FORM THE UPPER JET MOVES OFF TO THE NORTHEAST AND  
PRECIPITATION MOVES A BIT FURTHER EASTWARD INTO CENTRAL  
NEBRASKA. WITH THE LIMITED EXTENT OF POTENTIAL ACCUMULATIONS THE  
CURRENT TIMING AND EXTENT OF THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY  
LIMITED TO SHERIDAN COUNTY CONTINUE TO LOOK ON TARGET.  
PRECIPITATION WILL LINGER INTO THIS AFTERNOON WEST OF HWY 83 AND  
EXPECT LITTLE MORE THAN A FEW SPRINKLES OR FLURRIES WILL MAKE  
IT MUCH FURTHER TO THE EAST BEFORE WE TREND BACK TO A DRY  
FORECAST FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
DEFINITELY A RAW FEEL TO THE DAY EVEN FOR AREAS THAT REMAIN DRY WITH  
ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER, BLUSTERY WINDS, AND TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW  
NORMAL PEAKING AT 45 TO 50 DEGREES FOR THE MAJORITY OF CENTRAL AND  
WESTERN NEBRASKA. ANY FOLKS WHO ARE ACTIVELY USING LAWN  
SPRINKLERS SHOULD TAKE NOTE THAT THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY FOR  
LOWS FRIDAY NIGHT WELL BELOW FREEZING WITH A 70 PERCENT CHANCE  
READINGS AT OR BELOW 25 DEGREES WEST OF HWY 83 AND NORTH OF I-80  
AND A BETTER THAN EVEN CHANCE FOR READINGS AT OR BELOW 28  
DEGREES FURTHER TO THE EAST AND SOUTH. WE DO START TO GET INTO A  
SPLIT FLOW REGIME ALOFT AS THE DIGGING TROF MOVING THROUGH THE  
WESTERN US STARTS TO DEVELOP A CLOSED LOW OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN  
US, ALLOWING FOR SOME PSEUDO RIDGING TO START THE WEEKEND WITH  
DRY CONDITIONS AND START A TREND TOWARD MODERATING TEMPERATURES  
WITH HIGHS INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 50S.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 255 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
 
ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN EJECTING THE CLOSED LOW  
FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN US INTO THE PLAINS ON SUNDAY. THIS WILL DRIVE  
A STRONG SURFACE LOW FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE GREAT LAKES  
REGION THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. ANTICIPATE THE BULK OF SIGNIFICANT  
WEATHER WILL REMAIN WELL EAST OF OUR AREA THOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME  
LIGHT RAIN EAST OF HWY 83 ON SUNDAY THOUGH AMOUNTS LOOK TO BE QUITE  
LIGHT WITH NO HIGHER THAN A 30 PERCENT CHANCE FOR ONE TENTH OF AN  
INCH OR MORE. A BROAD LOW AMPLITUDE NORTHERN STREAM TROF THEN BRINGS  
A CHANCE FOR SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION MONDAY INTO TUESDAY BEFORE THE  
FLOW BUCKLES AND PUTS CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEBRASKA UNDER SOUTHWESTERLY  
FLOW ALOFT BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL BRING A PLUME OF  
MOISTURE UP FROM THE GULF WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RISING  
INTO THE 90TH PERCENTILE. PROBABILISTIC GUIDANCE SHOWS UP TO A  
50 PERCENT CHANCE FOR ABOUT ONE QUARTER INCH OR RAINFALL ACROSS  
A LARGE PORTION OF THE REGION SO PERHAPS OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY  
FOR MEANINGFUL WIDESPREAD RAINFALL IN A WHILE. TEMPERATURES  
WILL GENERALLY BE AT OR ABOVE NORMAL THORUGH NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1244 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
 
MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL OVERNIGHT ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH  
CENTRAL NEBRASKA, LARGELY DRIVEN BY LOWERED CEILINGS FROM RAIN AND  
SNOW SHOWERS. EVEN WITH PRECIPITATION FALLING, VISIBILITIES MOSTLY  
REMAIN AT 6 MILES OR GREATER, WITH JUST A FEW NOTABLE DROPS TO  
AROUND 4 MILES IN HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS. THE MAIN CONCERN FOR  
PRECIPITATION WILL BE ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA AND THE NORTHERN  
SANDHILLS, INCLUDING THE KVTN TERMINAL, WHERE RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS  
CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. BY MID TO LATE MORNING, A RETURN  
TO VFR CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED AS PRECIPITATION CHANCES WANE. WINDS  
WILL REMAIN GUSTY OUT OF THE NORTH OVERNIGHT AND THROUGH THE  
AFTERNOON. BY LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING, WINDS BEGIN TO  
DECREASE AND BECOME LESS GUSTY, WITH A SLIGHT SHIFT FROM NORTHERLY  
TO NORTHWESTERLY.  
 
 
   
LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON MDT TODAY FOR NEZ004.  
 
 
 
 
 
SHORT TERM...MBS  
LONG TERM...MBS  
AVIATION...RICHIE  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab NE Page
Main Text Page