491 FXUS63 KLBF 131125 AFDLBFArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 625 AM CDT Sat Sep 13 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms are expected this evening and tonight. A few storms could be strong to severe, with hail, strong wind gusts, and locally heavy rainfall as the main hazards.
- Storms persist into Sunday, with another round of strong to severe storms possible Sunday afternoon and evening. Hail, strong wind gusts, and locally heavy rainfall will again be possible near and east of Highway 83.
- A brief lull in precipitation is expected Monday, before an approaching cold front brings a return of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday into Wednesday.
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.SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 350 AM CDT Sat Sep 13 2025
Currently, temperatures range from the upper 60s to lower 70s, with a surface trough positioned near the HWY 61 corridor. Earlier shower and thunderstorms across western Nebraska have begun to wane, as a strong low level jet continues to veer off into eastern Nebraska.
For today, expect scattered thunderstorms to persist across portions of western Nebraska through this morning and afternoon, aided by a weak low-level upslope flow regime. Coverage will remain somewhat limited through early afternoon, before an upper low begins to eject out of the Four Corners and across the Rockies. At the surface, a deepening surface low will begin to slowly eject east across South Dakota, with an associated cold front pushing into the Sandhills. This should lead to increasing shower and thunderstorm coverage, with widespread precipitation expected for much of western and central Nebraska by this evening. Though instability looks to remain limited today due to persistent cloudiness, MUCAPE still rises to ~500-1000J/kg and with modest deep layer shear points to some threat for a stronger storm or two. Hail and strong winds would be the main hazards this evening. The greatest threat may come in the form of locally heavy rainfall, with PWAT values exceeding the 90th percentile climo across the area today. In fact, HREF guidance paints ~50-80% probabilities of >0.50" of rainfall for a broad area along and west of HWY 83 through early Sunday morning.
Widespread showers and thunderstorms persist into Sunday morning, before the parent H5 low begins to eject overhead into western Nebraska. This could lead to a drier period Sunday afternoon, as much of the area enters the dry slot. This break will be short-lived however, as thunderstorms are expected to initiate along the surface front near and east of HWY 83. Instability will again be the biggest question mark, though any breaks in cloud cover will need to be monitored. Shear remains supportive of updraft organization (~35- 45kts) ahead of the frontal boundary, and could lead to a strong to severe storm or two. Locally heavy rainfall will again be a threat with any thunderstorms, as PWAT values remain well above the 90th percentile climo. A secondary regime of precipitation will be within the deformation zone across western and northwest Nebraska as the low slowly pivots east. Locally heavy rainfall will also be possible in this regime. Precipitation then slowly wanes into early Monday morning, as the low begins to depart the area.
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.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Issued at 350 AM CDT Sat Sep 13 2025
Drier conditions then prevail on Monday, as the aforementioned system continues to departs off to the east. By Tuesday, an upper low begins to eject into the northern Plains out of the Intermountain West. As associated surface low pressure ejects across the Dakotas Tuesday afternoon, a cold front begins to push into the area. Will have to monitor a threat for thunderstorms with this frontal boundary, as increasing instability overspreads southwest into central and north central Nebraska. Some threat for strong to severe storms could exist across portions of the area Tuesday afternoon and evening. The aforementioned upper low looks to slowly depart the area through midweek, with at least some threat for precipitation continuing. Confidence then wanes for late week, though at least some threat for precipitation may return next weekend.
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.AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 625 AM CDT Sat Sep 13 2025
Widespread showers and thunderstorms overspread the area this evening and tonight, bringing MVFR visibilities and a threat for gusty, erratic winds. CIGs also lower through the night, with an expansion of MVFR/locally IFR by late in the valid period tomorrow morning.
Winds remain southerly today and tonight, at around 10 to 15kts.
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.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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SHORT TERM...Brown LONG TERM...Brown AVIATION...Brown
NWS LBF Office Area Forecast Discussion