359
FXUS63 KLBF 100951
AFDLBF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
351 AM CST SAT JAN 10 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- LIGHT SNOW WILL RETURN TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA.
- TEMPERATURES REMAIN NEAR NORMAL TODAY BEFORE GRADUALLY INCREASING
THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
- BEYOND TODAY, DRY CONDITIONS RETURN TO THE REGION THROUGH NEXT
FRIDAY.
- INCREASING FIRE CONCERNS ARE POSSIBLE NEXT WEEK AS WARM AND DRY
CONDITIONS COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS.
SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
ISSUED AT 350 AM CST SAT JAN 10 2026
THE MAIN CONCERN IN THE SHORT TERM IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME LIGHT
SNOW TODAY AS THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL LOW DEVELOPS ACROSS THE NORTHERN
PLAINS. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW TO PORTIONS OF
NORTHERN NEBRASKA, MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 2 THROUGHOUT THE DAY
TODAY. WITH TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY REMAINING NEAR FREEZING WHERE
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED, PRECIP TYPE SHOULD REMAIN ALL SNOW.
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT WITH ONLY AROUND A HALF INCH EXPECTED
ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN NEBRASKA WITH LESSER AMOUNTS AS ONE HEADS
SOUTH. THERE IS ALSO A VERY LOW CONCERN FOR SOME SNOW SQUALL
DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE
CONFIDENCE IN DEVELOPMENT REMAINS LESS THAN 30 PERCENT, THERE IS
ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT SOME MORE ORGANIZED SNOW BANDS ACROSS
THE SANDHILLS. EVEN IF SNOW SQUALLS DO NOT DEVELOP, THERE SHOULD BE
ENOUGH LIFT TO ALLOW FOR MORE CONVECTIVE SNOW SHOWER INITIATION.
REGARDLESS, ANY BANDS OR HEAVIER CONVECTIVE SHOWERS THAT DO DEVELOP
COULD DROP LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF SNOW UP TO 1 INCH AS WELL AS
CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS RAPID VISIBILITY DROPS. IN ADDITION,
DESPITE THE RATHER MINIMAL ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED, NORTHWEST WINDS
ARE EXPECTED TO GUST UP TO 35 TO 45 MPH WHICH MAY CAUSE SOME BLOWING
SNOW AS WELL AS VISIBILITY CONCERNS. THOSE TRAVELING ON SATURDAY
SHOULD ALLOW FOR EXTRA TIME AND BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
CONDITIONS. SNOW COMES TO AN END BY SUNSET WITH WINDS ALSO LESSENING
BY THE EVENING, BRINGING AN END TO ANY BLOWING SNOW CONCERNS. ACROSS
THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF NEBRASKA, PRECIPITATION IS NOT
ANTICIPATED. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR NORMAL (MID TO UPPER 40S)
AS SKIES BECOME PARTLY CLOUDY BY THE AFTERNOON.
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 350 AM CST SAT JAN 10 2026
STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGING ACROSS THE WESTERN US WILL ALLOW FOR
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS STARTING ON
SUNDAY. THIS WILL BRING DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK AS
WELL AS A GRADUAL INCREASE IN TEMPERATURES. WITH 850 MB TEMPERATURES
GENERALLY IN THE 8 TO 12 C RANGE, SURFACE HIGHS WILL EASILY BE ABLE
TO CLIMB BACK ABOVE NORMALS INTO THE 50S BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT
WEEK. SOME LOCATIONS ACROSS SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA COULD EVEN SEE SOME
HIGHS IN THE LOW 60S EARLY NEXT WEEK.
WHILE THE MAJORITY OF THE WEEK IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN DRY, THERE IS
SOME LOW END PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA ON
TUESDAY NIGHT AS A TROUGH DIGS ACROSS THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. THE
BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL REMAIN OFF TO THE EAST OVER MINNESOTA
AND IOWA, BUT SOME WEAK FORCING TO THE SOUTHWEST COULD RESULT IN
SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION. WITH THE WARMER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED
THROUGH NEXT WEEK, CURRENT EXPECTATION IS THAT PRECIP TYPE WILL
REMAIN ALL RAIN.
WITH THE RETURN TO DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS NEXT WEEK, THERE WILL BE
A RETURN TO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. RH VALUES WILL DROP INTO THE 20
TO 25 PERCENT RANGE ON BOTH SUNDAY AND MONDAY. WINDS WILL ALSO
INCREASE IN THE AFTERNOON POTENTIALLY GUSTING UP TO 30 MPH ON MONDAY
AND AS HIGH AS 45 MPH ON TUESDAY. THE COMBINATION OF THESE DRY
CONDITIONS AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL
FIRE CONDITIONS THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY NEXT WEEK.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/
ISSUED AT 1134 PM CST FRI JAN 9 2026
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA TONIGHT, HOWEVER, A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET WILL BRING
LLWS CONCERNS ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION OVERNIGHT. BY LATE MORNING,
THESE STRONG WINDS ALOFT BEGIN TO MIX TO THE SURFACE, CAUSING GUSTY
SURFACE WINDS ACROSS MOST OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA,
WITH THE WINDIEST CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SANDHILLS AND PANHANDLE. IN
ADDITION TO THE WINDS, A COLD FRONT BRING CHANCES FOR SNOW SHOWERS
ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TOMORROW MORNING INTO THE
AFTERNOON. WHILE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN LIGHT, THE
GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH FALLING SNOW MAY CREATE BRIEF IMPACTS TO
VISIBILITY ACROSS THE REGION. THESE SHOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE
ACCOMPANIED BY LOWER CEILINGS, INTRODUCING AT LEAST MVFR CONDITIONS
THROUGHOUT THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON, THOUGH BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS
ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. BY THE EVENING, SNOW CHANCES DECREASE AND WINDS
ACROSS THE REGION BEGIN TO WEAKEN BACK TO LIGHT NORTHWEST WINDS.
LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
SHORT TERM...KULIK
LONG TERM...KULIK
AVIATION...RICHIE
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