897  
FXUS63 KOAX 201922  
AFDOAX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE  
222 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- THERE IS A LOW CHANCE (15-30%) OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS  
NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS EVENING THRU 10PM. SEVERE WEATHER,  
INCLUDING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH  
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
- HIGHS FLUCTUATE BETWEEN THE UPPER 70S AND 80S WITH PERIODIC  
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST  
PERIOD. SEVERE WEATHER MAY CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE WITH  
THUNDERSTORMS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 222 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
QUIET WEATHER AS OF 1PM TODAY WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 70S  
TO LOW 80S. A FAIRLY BROAD CU FIELD HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS MUCH OF  
EASTERN NEBRASKA, INDICATIVE OF RELATIVELY STEEP SURFACE LAPSE  
RATES CAPPED BY THE STRONG INVERSION AROUND 5000FT. LOOKING AT  
THE BROADER UPPER-LEVEL PATTERN WE HAVE BROAD RIDGING OVER THE  
ROCKIES WITH A DEEP TROUGH OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY.  
THIS PUTS US IN OUR FAIRLY ACTIVE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW REGIME.  
 
FOR THIS EVENING WE'RE WATCHING A COLD FRONT APPROACH FROM THE  
WESTERN DAKOTAS THAT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS  
EVENING. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT WE'LL SEE MOISTURE POOLING AND  
STEEPENING LAPSE RATES GENERATING AROUND 2500 J/KG OF CAPE JUST  
AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THIS COMBINED WITH INCREASING  
0-6KM BULK SHEAR COULD LEAD TO A FEW ORGANIZED STORMS STARTING  
TO DEVELOP AROUND 4-5 PM. LIMITING FACTOR WILL BE MOISTURE AS  
THE FRONT STALLS JUST TO OUR NORTH AND WEST, WEAKENING THROUGH  
THE EVENING. WITH THIS WE'LL HAVE A WINDOW FROM AROUND 4PM TO  
10PM OF A CONDITIONAL THREAT FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS OVER  
NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. IF WE CAN GET ANYTHING TO DEVELOP, IT HAS A  
GOOD CHANCE OF BECOMING SEVERE WITH PRIMARY THREATS BEING  
DAMAGING WINDS TO 75 MPH AND LARGE HAIL UP TO 2 INCHES IN  
DIAMETER. ANYTHING THAT DEVELOPS SHOULD DISSIPATE BY 10PM AS  
TEMPERATURES ALOFT WARM AND THE ENVIRONMENT BECOMES MORE  
STABLE.  
 
OVERNIGHT WE COULD SEE SOME PATCHY SHALLOW FOG DEVELOP, BUT  
SIGNIFICANT DRY AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS SHOULD SIGNIFICANTLY  
LIMIT EXTENT, MORE LIKELY IN LOW-LYING AREAS PARTICULARLY NEAR  
WATER. WE'LL BE WATCHING FOR MORE STORMS DEVELOPING OVER OUR  
WESTERN COUNTIES STARTING AROUND 6-7 AM AS THE NEXT SHORTWAVE  
INTERACTS WITH A THETA-E GRADIENT STRETCHING FROM CENTRAL NE  
SOUTHEAST TOWARD GAGE COUNTY. AS THIS SHORTWAVE CLEARS AROUND  
NOON WE SHOULD SEE SCATTERED STORMS WANE AND MOSTLY CLEAR TO THE  
SOUTHEAST; HOWEVER, A FEW HI-RES MODELS INCLUDING THE HRRR KEEP  
A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CAPE  
ONLY INCREASES INTO THE AFTERNOON WITH DAYTIME HEATING, BUT WE  
WILL BE LACKING MUCH OF A TRIGGER. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD  
BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH 50 TO 60 KT  
OF 0-6KM BULK SHEAR WITH HAZARDS MAINLY BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND  
LARGE HAIL AGAIN. LOW-LEVEL SHEAR WILL BE MUCH WEAKER, BUT  
CAN'T COMPLETELY RULE OUT A TORNADO THREAT.  
 
A THIRD SHORTWAVE WILL TRIGGER A BETTER CHANCE FOR STRONG TO  
SEVERE STORMS FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH AROUND MIDNIGHT. STORMS  
INITIATE AS DISCRETE STORMS JUST WEST OF BOONE COUNTY, LIKELY  
ORGANIZING INTO A CLUSTER OF STORMS AND A BOWING LINE RIDING  
THIS SAME THETA-E GRADIENT INTO SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.  
 
NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING SHORTWAVES THROUGH LEADING  
TO PERIODIC CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS THROUGH THE WEEKEND  
INTO MONDAY. THE RIDGE TO OUR WEST BUILDS EASTWARD INTO NEXT  
WEEK, WEAKENING AND DEAMPLIFYING AS IT DOES. A STRONG JET  
STREAK PASSING OVER THE TOP OF THE RIDGE WILL KEEP THIS UNSTABLE  
FLOW REGIME INTO NEXT WEEK LIKELY WITH MORE PERIODIC CHANCES FOR  
SHOWERS AND STORMS. TEMPERATURES STAY ON THE MILDER SIDE FOR  
AUGUST WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE LOW-TO-MID 80S AND OVERNIGHT  
LOWS IN THE LOW-TO-MID 60S.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1233 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
AFTER LIFR FG/CIGS IMPACTED THE TERMINALS THIS MORNING, PREVAILING  
VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE CURRENT PERIOD...WITH SOME  
QUESTION OF WHERE SOME LIGHT BR MAY IMPACT MAINLY KOFK TOWARDS  
DAYBREAK FRIDAY ALONG WITH AN OUTSIDE CHANCE FOR A -TSRA AT  
LEAST APPROACHING THE VCTY OF KOFK AND KLNK AROUND 21/15-21/18Z.  
FOR THE TIME BEING, DID NOT INCLUDE EITHER MENTION IN THE TAFS  
AS CONFIDENCE IS ON THE LOWER SIDE. WINDS OVERALL WILL BE LIGHT  
AT LESS THAN 10 KTS OUT OF THE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON...BECOMING  
VARIABLE OVERNIGHT, BEFORE SHIFTING AND BECOMING MOSTLY  
NORTHERLY AFT 21/16Z.  
 

 
   
OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NE...NONE.  
IA...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...MCCOY  
AVIATION...ROSSI (GID)  
 
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