983
FXUS63 KLBF 010421
AFDLBF

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service North Platte NE
1121 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Hot temperatures with highs in the 90s and lower 100s, will return
  Sunday into Monday across the western sandhills and southwest with
  increasing fire danger in the western half of the forecast area.

- Cooler with a chance for showers and thunderstorms Monday
  night into Wednesday night.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Issued at 212 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

Tonight and Saturday...Surface high pressure will build across
western Nebraska tonight with a clear sky, light and variable wind
and lows in the mid 50s. On Saturday, upper level ridging will build
from the Desert Southwest into the North Plains. This will bring
sunny skies ans a warmup to the upper 80s and lower 90s west of
highway 83, with low to mid 80s to the east. Winds will remain
light, with a return of light southerly winds to the western
Sandhills. While sunny skies are expected, there will be an increase
in atmospheric smoke across the region from ongoing fires in British
Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.

Saturday night and Sunday...Southerly winds will increase across the
northwest Sandhills Saturday night with gusts to 30 mph. This will
keep overnight lows up into the low to mid 60s, with upper 50s
across the remainder of the area. On Sunday, the upper ridge will
extend from the Four Corners Region into the Central Plains and
western Great Lakes. This will bring much warmer temperatures from
the mid 90s to near 100 degrees to the western Sandhills and
southwest. As the surface pressure gradient increases, southerly
winds will range from 15 to 25 mph, with gusts to near 40 mph across
portions of the western Sandhills. This will bring near
critical, to possibly critical fire weather conditions to areas
west of Highway 83. Confidence is increasing that a Fire Weather
Watch may be needed. Details can be found in the Fire Weather
section below.

&&

.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
Issued at 212 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

Monday...Highs to range in the 90s, with near 100 possible across
southwest NE. NBM probabilities of 100 degrees or warmer are from 30
to near 60 percent across southwest Nebraska. The upper ridge will
break down across the Northern Plains as an upper trough moves into
Montana. This will bring a cold front across northeast Wyoming and
western South Dakota into northwest Nebraska. Another day of
increased fire weather concerns, especially west of Highway 83.
Details can be found in the Fire Weather section below.

A cold front is forecast to move through the forecast area Monday
night and stall out across northern Kansas through Wednesday night.
This will bring increased chances for showers and thunderstorms
Monday night through Wednesday night. This also bring a cooldown
with highs Tuesday only in the mid 70s north central to low 80s
southwest, with upper 70s to mid 80s Wednesday.

Thursday into Friday...Looks mainly dry with highs by Friday with
highs returning to the 90s.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 1119 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

VFR conditions are expected under clear skies across all of
western and north central Nebraska through the Saturday. Winds
will be light, generally less than 10 kts.

&&

.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Fire Weather Watch from Sunday morning through Sunday evening
for NEZ204.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Roberg
LONG TERM...Roberg
AVIATION...Taylor

NWS LBF Office Area Forecast Discussion