417  
FXUS63 KLBF 290819  
AFDLBF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE  
319 AM CDT WED JUL 29 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TODAY AND THURSDAY, WITH A POTENTIAL FOR  
SEVERE WEATHER THURSDAY  
 
- A RETURN TO VERY WARM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND  
ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER  
CONDITIONS.  
 
- A CHANCE FOR AT LEAST SOME RAINFALL RETURNS NEXT WEEK.  
 
- COOLER WEATHER IS EXPECTED FRIDAY ALONG WITH GUSTY NORTH  
WINDS.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 315 AM CDT WED JUL 29 2026  
 
THE MAIN CONCERN IN THE SHORT TERM WILL BE THE SHOWER AND  
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FOR TODAY AND THURSDAY. ADDITIONAL  
THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP EARLY THIS MORNING WITH A STRONG LLJ.  
ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT WILL GENERALLY BE ACROSS THE SANDHILLS  
INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA, WHERE A FEW OF THE CAMS HAVE BEEN  
CONSISTENT IN SHOWING EARLY MORNING CONVECTION DEVELOPING. WILL  
NEED TO MONITOR ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS MORNING  
AS THEY COULD LEAD TO SOME MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL AS  
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND PWAT VALUES REMAIN HIGH.  
THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AREAS TO SEE OVER 2 INCHES OF  
RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. ONE AREA OF CONCERN FOR  
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS MORNING WILL BE OVER CUSTER COUNTY.  
YESTERDAY PORTIONS OF CENTRAL CUSTER RECEIVED AROUND 2 INCHES OR  
MORE AND ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TODAY AND TOMORROW COULD LEAD  
TO SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING.  
 
THE GREATER CONFIDENCE OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE THIS  
EVENING AS THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP OFF THE HIGHER TERRAIN. FORCING  
WILL BE WEAK HOWEVER LEADING TO LOWER CONFIDENCE IN STORMS THAT  
DEVELOP OFF THE HIGH TERRAIN BEING ABLE TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES AS  
THEY MOVE EASTWARD. AT THIS TIME THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER  
REMAINS LOW FOR THIS EVENING.  
 
AS FOR THURSDAY, A SW TROF WILL MOVE INTO THE HIGH PLAINS REGION  
WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.  
THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE IN THE AFTERNOON AS  
INSTABILITY INCREASES WITH MU CAPE VALUES AROUND 2000 TO 3000 J/KG.  
HOWEVER THIS WILL BE DEPENDENT ON HOW MUCH CONVECTION DEVELOPS  
DURING THE MORNING HOURS. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE GREATEST THREAT  
WITH THUNDERSTORMS THAT BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE IN THE  
AFTERNOON/EVENING. THERE WILL BE A SECONDARY THREAT OF HAIL AND  
LOCALIZED MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 315 AM CDT WED JUL 29 2026  
 
A POTENT SHORTWAVE WILL BE EXITING THE AREA FRIDAY. IN IT'S  
WAKE A COLD FRONT WILL HAVE CROSSED THE AREA WITH GUSTY NORTH WINDS  
EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAY. COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL BE EXPERIENCED  
BEHIND THIS SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL  
NEBRASKA, WHERE HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S ARE FORECAST. DRIER AIR WILL  
WORK INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT, WITH LOWS IN THE COMFORTABLE  
UPPER 50S TO AROUND 60 DEGREES FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
ON SATURDAY, EXPECT THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGING TO EXPAND NORTH AND  
EASTWARD FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. THIS WILL BEGIN A WARM-UP REGION  
WIDE. HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM 4 TO 7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS  
WESTERN NEBRASKA, WITH NEAR NORMAL READINGS ACROSS CENTRAL INTO  
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THIS PUTS ACTUAL HIGHS RANGING FROM THE MID  
80S ACROSS THE CENTRAL/NORTH TO LOWER TO MID 90S WEST.  
 
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING CONTINUES TO EXPAND ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY. THIS  
WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MORE WARMTH WITH HIGHS EXCEEDING 90 DEGREES  
AT ALL LOCATIONS. DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE ACROSS WYOMING AHEAD OF A  
BROAD LONG WAVE TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL BRING  
STRONG, GUSTY SOUTH WINDS PARTICULARLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 183. HIGHS IN  
THESE AREAS WILL BE WELL INTO THE 90S WITH HUMIDITY LIKELY DROPPING  
INTO THE 20-25% RANGE BY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE PANHANDLE AND FAR  
WESTERN NEBRASKA. THIS WILL BRING AN INCREASE IN FIRE WEATHER  
CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS THAT HAVEN'T RECEIVED RAIN AND MUCH  
GREEN-UP.  
 
EARLY NEXT WEEK THE RIDGE MAY FLATTEN SOME AND ALONG WITH HIGHER  
PWAT VALUES. THIS COULD BRING A RETURN TO SOME CHANCE FOR RAINFALL.  
STILL COULD SEE SOME FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS YET MONDAY, BUT THESE  
DECREASE TUESDAY AS TEMPERATURES COOL BACK SOME AND HUMIDITY RISES.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06 TAFS THROUGH 06 THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1141 PM CDT TUE JUL 28 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL THROUGH THESE EARLY MORNING HOURS  
AND THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL  
NEBRASKA. WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS  
THE PANHANDLE INTO FAR WESTERN NEBRASKA LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO  
THIS EVENING. THESE SHOULD MAINLY REMAIN WEST OF HIGHWAY 83 FROM  
VTN TO LBF.  
 

 
   
LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...GOMEZ  
LONG TERM...TAYLOR  
AVIATION...TAYLOR  
 
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