895
FXUS63 KLBF 242324
AFDLBF

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service North Platte NE
524 PM CST Wed Dec 24 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Patchy to areas of dense fog will develop mainly east of US-183
tonight lasting into Thursday morning.

- With the exception of some low end precipitation potential
Saturday night, dry conditions will prevail through next Wednesday.

- Record breaking high temperatures continue on Friday with warm
conditions lasting through Saturday.

- A pattern change on Saturday night will bring cooler, below normal
temperatures on Sunday before a gradual increase through the middle
of next week.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Issued at 231 PM CST Wed Dec 24 2025

Upper level ridging will persist across the central US through
Saturday keeping conditions dry and warm throughout the region. Warm
air advection will continue to push warmer 850 mb temperatures in
the 10 to 16 degree range into the central Plains. This will keep
surface highs in the mid to upper 60s through Friday. The potential
to break some more high temperature records returns on Friday as
well with record values currently sitting at 66 in North Platte and
Imperial, 64 in Broken Bow, and 60 in Valentine. As the current
forecast stands, confidence is high that all four sites will break
these old records as temperatures will likely increase a couple more
degrees over the next day or so. Slightly cooler air associated with
the next upper level trough will begin to enter portions of northern
Nebraska on Saturday. This cooler air will combine with some
increasing clouds by Saturday afternoon resulting in highs only in
the 50s.

Some patchy to areas of dense fog will develop tonight as calm winds
and plenty of low level moisture move into the region. Current
expectations is that fog will be mainly contained to the areas
generally east of US-183. Visibility restrictions down to a half
mile or less is possible in some locations, especially in low lying
areas. Use extra caution and be prepared for rapidly changing
conditions if driving Thursday morning. Stay tuned to the latest fog
headlines for the most up to date information. Fog should begin to
dissipated by mid to late morning, but some overcast skies and lower
clouds may persist across north central Nebraska into the afternoon.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 231 PM CST Wed Dec 24 2025

A pattern change returns on Saturday night as a trough digs
southward across the Great Plains. This system may bring some light
precipitation to portions of the Panhandle, but confidence is very
low in development. The main weather concern with this trough will
be the return to much colder temperatures as 850 mb temperatures
plummet into the -8 to -16 C range. This will result in surface
temperatures to drop back below normal (low 40s) on Sunday. Expect
highs to range from the mid 20s across northern Nebraska to the mid
30s south of I-80. Due to these colder temperatures, if
precipitation would develop, it would be in the form of all snow.

Otherwise, a dry forecast returns for next week as ridging quickly
builds back across the western US keeping dry conditions across
Nebraska through the extended period. Temperatures will also
steadily increase through the middle of next week with highs
returning to the 50s by Tuesday and Wednesday.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 525 PM CST Wed Dec 24 2025

Low stratus and fog will overspread terminals near and east of
HWY 183 tonight, leading to periods of IFR/locally LIFR CIGs and
visibilities. This stratus and fog will be slow to erode
tomorrow morning, though a gradual improvement back to VFR is
expected by late tomorrow afternoon. West of HWY 183, VFR
conditions are expected to prevail through tomorrow evening.

The western extent of lowered categories remains somewhat
uncertain and will need to be monitored for possible inclusion
at both KLBF and KVTN.

Winds remain light tonight, generally 5kts or less. Winds then
become west-southwest tomorrow afternoon, at 10 to 15kts.

&&

.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Dense Fog Advisory from 10 PM this evening to noon CST
Thursday for NEZ007-010-028-029.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Kulik
LONG TERM...Kulik
AVIATION...Brown

NWS LBF Office Area Forecast Discussion