573  
FXUS63 KOAX 180506  
AFDOAX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE  
1206 AM CDT SUN OCT 18 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS PERSIST FOR SUNDAY AREAWIDE. HIGHS WARM  
TO THE MID TO UPPER 60S UNDER MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES.  
 
- WARMER TEMPERATURES RETURN THIS WEEK. DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE  
WITH OUR NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN NOT UNTIL LATE FRIDAY-SATURDAY  
(20-40%).  
 
- STRONG WINDS GUSTING 30-40 MPH ALSO ARRIVE FRIDAY, INCREASING  
FIRE DANGER FOR AREAS WITH STANDING CROPS  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 1124 PM CDT SAT OCT 17 2026  
   
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/
 
 
04Z RAP OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS REVEALS AN H5 RIDGE OVER MOST OF THE  
CENTRAL PLAINS TOWARD THE SOUTHERN CONUS. AT THE SFC, A 1031MB SFC  
HIGH DOMINATES MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE EASTERN CONUS,  
WHILE A STRONG 988MB SFC LOW IS CENTERED OVER EASTERN SASKATCHEWAN  
INTO MANITOBA. THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE TWO FEATURES  
HAS LED TO GUSTY WINDS PERSISTING OVER A LARGE PORTION OF THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS AREA.  
 
THE GUSTY 30-35 MPH SOUTHERLY WINDS PERSIST INTO SUNDAY AS THE  
PRESSURE GRADIENT REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS OAX. THE WINDS SHOULD HELP  
WARM US UP TO THE MID TO UPPER 60S: HAVE BUMPED THEM UP A FEW  
DEGREES FROM NBM GUIDANCE. MOST OF THE DAY WILL REMAIN CLOUD FREE  
UNTIL LATE IN THE DAY AS SOME HIGH BASED CLOUDS FILTER IN. LOWS COOL  
TO THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S.  
 
A SFC HIGH WILL PASS TO OUR NORTH NORTHEAST ON MONDAY WHICH SHOULD  
HELP LESSEN THE WIND SPEEDS. A WEAK SHORTWAVE WILL TRAVERSE THE  
NORTHWEST PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE THAT EVENING, BUT WITH LITTLE TO NO  
MOISTURE TO WORK WITH, WILL LIKELY SEE JUST SOME HIGH BASED CLOUDS.  
HIGHS WARM TO THE LOW TO MID 60S.  
   
LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
THE H5 RIDGE WILL AMPLIFY OVER MOST OF THE CENTRAL CONUS THROUGH AT  
LEAST FRIDAY. AS THE RESULTANT 1000-500MB THICKNESSES EXPAND, EXPECT  
TEMPERATURES TO GAIN A FEW DEGREES EACH DAY. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY  
APPEAR TO BE THE WARMEST DAYS OF THE UPCOMING WEEK, WITH MOST AREAS  
SEEING HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S. A FEW H5 IMPULSES MAY TRY TO  
RIDE THE RIDGE AND APPROACH THE AREA DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, BUT  
AGAIN, LITTLE MOISTURE RETURN INTO THE AREA WILL LIKELY LIMIT PRECIP  
DEVELOPMENT. WITH THIS FORECAST UPDATE, NBM SUGGESTS A LESS THAN 10%  
CHANCE FOR PRECIP THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY SO EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS TO  
PREVAIL.  
 
BY FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY, MODEL GUIDANCE HINTS AT AN H5 LONGWAVE  
EJECTING FROM THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST TOWARD THE NORTHERN PLAINS. LEE  
CYCLOGENESIS OCCURS WITH THE SFC LOW TRACKING SOMEWHERE INTO THE  
WESTERN DAKOTAS. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL SET UP ACROSS THE  
AREA AND LEAD TO GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 35 TO 40 MPH. COUPLED WITH  
THIS UPCOMING DRY SPELL, COULD SEE SOME FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS  
DEVELOP IN AREAS WHERE FUELS CAN CURE FAST ENOUGH. AS THE MID AND  
LOW LEVEL FEATURES APPROACH THE AREA, SHOULD SEE OUR NEXT CHANCE FOR  
RAIN BY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING (20 TO 40%).  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1206 AM CDT SUN OCT 18 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH CLEAR SKIES. EXPECT SOME  
LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR OVERNIGHT, WITH SOUTHERLY SURFACE WINDS  
AROUND 10 KTS AND WINDS AT 1500 FT OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AT 40-45  
KTS. OTHERWISE, EXPECT WIND GUSTS OF 20-25 KTS DURING THE DAY  
BEFORE SPEEDS DIMINISH BY EVENING.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...CASTILLO  
AVIATION...CA  
 
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