Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS North Platte, NE
Issued by NWS North Platte, NE
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886 FXUS63 KLBF 232326 AFDLBF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 626 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - After tonight`s rain chance, hot weather sets in again for the weekend. Sunday could be excessively hot. - A bit cooler again next week with highs back into the 90s and an increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 212 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026 ECMWF ENS PWATS remain impressive with around 1.6" area wide. This is well above the the 90th %tile as sub-tropical moisture continues to moving northward through the Rockies and then turning eastward across the Plains on the northern side of the Southern Plains centered upper-level high pressure. One more disturbance will translate eastward this evening bringing another round of potential precipitation to the area. However, precipitation looks to be more scattered, and not expecting much coverage. The exception will be across portions of north central Nebraska, generally east of Highway 183, where coverage could be a little greater. After tonight, the center of the ridge begins to build back northward, essentially putting and end to rain chances. This will allow temperatures to be to warm again Friday, with highs in the upper 80s to mid 90s. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Issued at 212 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026 The upper level ridging continues to build northward from the Southern Plains this weekend. This will bring a return to hot temperatures. Sunday looks to have the potential to be exceptionally hot. LREF/Ensemble mean high temperatures are well over 100 degrees and excessive heat headlines may be needed. Monday continues to look hot, but by Tuesday through Thursday, the ridge sinks back across the Southern Plains. This will allow for a return of several disturbances rotating around the high. Moisture content will remain high as sub-tropical moisture continues rotate north and then eastward across the region. This will likely lead to an increase in showers and thunderstorms. With the increased cloud cover, slightly cooler temperatures are expected with highs settling back into the lower to mid 90s. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 625 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026 Low end VFR to MVFR conditions are expected through the evening hours, as stratus associated with showers and thunderstorms tracks across the region. Low ceilings remain throughout the night, introducing MVFR to LIFR conditions, with greatest certainty in LIFR conditions across southwest and central Nebraska. As ceilings remain low and winds remain light, patchy fog is expected to develop, introducing visibility concerns in addition to low ceilings. Expecting conditions to improve by mid morning, as fog and low stratus begins to burn off. Throughout the rest of the TAF period, expecting VFR conditions with mostly clear skies and light surface winds. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Taylor LONG TERM...Taylor AVIATION...Richie