Grand Island, Nebraska 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

463
FXUS63 KGID 251741
AFDGID

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hastings NE
1241 PM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Severe storms may move across portions of the area this
  afternoon into early this evening. Large hail and damaging
  winds are the main threats.

- There is a higher threat of severe storms for Sunday but more
  uncertainty in the timing of the storms. Large hail and
  damaging winds are the main threats.

- Low temperatures Monday night and Tuesday night are expected
  to be in the upper 20s to 30s. This may lead to frost and
  freeze concerns.

&&

.UPDATE...
Issued at 142 AM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

Showers have developed across northern and central portions of
Nebraska in association with an upper low centered over Canada that
extends southward to Nebraska. A cold front associated with this low
is also moving southward across western and northern portions of
Nebraska. Winds across the forecast area are beginning to turn to
the north generally along and north of I-80 and mostly out of the
southeast south of I-80. Overnight low temperatures are expected to
mostly be in the 40s with some upper 30s in far northwestern
portions of the forecast area. Showers and storms are expected to
develop and move southeastward along the cold front today. There
will likely be some thunderstorm development along the front this
morning with the main storm development expected during the
afternoon and early evening hours. Some of the storms that develop
later today may become severe with large hail and damaging winds
being the main threats due to fairly high instability and wind shear
along and ahead of the front. The front will not be very quick to
move through the area today which will allow for more time for the
atmosphere ahead of the front to become unstable. Although,
instability ahead of the front today may become impacted somewhat by
cloud cover. High temperatures today will be quite variable due to
the cold front with highs ranging from the 40s in the far northwest
to the 70s in the southeast and far east. The front will continue
moving through the area during the evening hours. Winds across the
area will be out of the north tonight with lingering showers
possible (around a 15% to 35% chance) for most of the overnight
hours. Low temperatures tonight will mostly be in the 30s and 40s.

Chances of showers and storms will increase (up to around 90%-95%)
from the west late tonight into Sunday morning. There is quite a bit
of uncertainty with regards to how rain and storms will develop on
Sunday. Some models show western and northern portions of the
forecast area having the highest chances of precipitation during the
day on Sunday with most of the rain and storms moving through on
Sunday night. A high-res model shows a round of showers and storms
moving across the majority of the forecast area during the day on
Sunday. There will be fairly high instability, wind shear, and lift
that whenever storms do develop and move across the area, they will
have the potential to become severe. Southern portions of the area
are in an enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) according to the Storm
Prediction Center`s Day 1 severe outlook. The rest of the area is in
a marginal to slight risk (level 1 and 2). Large hail and damaging
winds will be the main threats with these storms although there is a
low threat of an isolated tornado. The highest threat of severe
storms will be in north central Kansas. High temperatures on Sunday
are generally expected to be in the 50s and 60s. Looking ahead, low
temperatures Monday night and Tuesday night are expected to be
mostly in the 30s with some upper 20s across the far northwest
(northwest of the Tri-Cities area). This will create possible freeze
and frost concerns.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 445 PM CDT Fri Apr 24 2026

Vast majority of this discussion will be focused on the next few
days since that`s where the most impactful weather looks to be.

A surface ridge axis is currently overhead and leading to very
nice conditions (bonus points for being a Friday!) featuring
relatively light winds and temperatures in the 60s-lower 70s.
The ridge axis will continue to shift E/SE, which will allow for
increasing SErly return flow. This increase in winds is already
noted in observations just to our W and there remains a small
window for near critical fire weather conditions for areas W of
Hwy 183 where the increasing winds overlap with slowly rising,
but still sub-30%, RHs between around 5-9PM. Most of the night
should remain dry, though held onto some low PoPs in the far
W/NW near an approaching cold front.

This front will make gradual NW to SE progression on Saturday,
but then likely stall out at some point during the afternoon as
a sfc low deepens along NW KS/SW NE border area. Exactly where
this stall occurs remains a bit uncertain...and it will have a
huge affect on the sensible weather for a given location. Areas
from around Lexington to Ord may remain stuck in clouds and
chilly N wind all day and temperatures only in the 40s to 50s...
whereas Osborne to Geneva area could warm well into the 70s
amidst broken cloud cover and warm/moist Srly flow. The heart
of the forecast area, including the Tri-Cities, could have
sensible weather that`s just about anywhere in between. Agree
with recent hi-res data that shows iso-scat shwrs/weak storms
developing along the front Sat AM, with a gradual uptick in
intensity towards midday. Question will be just how much of an
increase we see, especially across Neb zones, given somewhat
lackluster heating and instability. While not a textbook case by
any means, wouldn`t rule out some funnels/weak tornadoes in
south central NE given proximity to potential differential
heating and decent 0-3km CAPE that overlaps strong ambient low
level vorticity associated with the slow-moving front. Sometimes
this can support rapid low level stretching and weak tornadoes.

More likely scenario for robust convection will be new
development on the southern flank of existing convection into
north central Kansas in vicinity of a sfc low and associated
triple point during the mid to late afternoon. These areas could
support greater instability and MLCAPE of at least 1000 J/kg by
late afternoon. Deep layer shear would be strong enough, and
favorably oriented relative to dry line, to support supercells
with large hail. Have increased hail size potential in messaging
up to around golf ball size given potential storm mode, steep
mid level lapse rates, and large chunk of the CAPE being within
favored hail growth zone. Model UH tracks support a hard right
turn and a potential increase to already favorable low level
hodographs for tornadoes with any late aftn-early eve
supercells. Appears the main limiting factor to a more robust
tornado threat could be marginal BL moisture as TDs remain in
the 50s. Overall coverage of convection into north central and
central KS may be less than further north, but this would allow
what does develop to be more intense. Storms should clear the
area to the SE by around midnight.

Attention then turns to even better and more widespread shower
and storm chances on Sunday. Will start off by saying there is
considerable uncertainty in how things will play out. Model
differences are high and appears that increasing elevated
convection Sunday AM could throw a significant wrench into
afternoon destabilization potential. Also, the primary upper
trough/height falls appears a bit late for optimal overlap with
peak daytime heating - suggesting maybe the traditional late
afternoon and early evening window for severe weather could be
fairly quiet locally and focused further S/SE into axis of
greater instability. Really it will just depend on how
widespread AM elevated convection is and where any potential
outflow/differential heating boundaries set up. My personal
experience is that more often than not, early day convection is
more detrimental to severe aftn/eve storms than what models
suggest...especially in late April north of a warm front. Warm
air advection will be pretty strong Sat night-Sun AM with a
veering low level jet beneath a coupled upper jet. This should
be a pretty good opportunity for some widespread, much-needed
rainfall with perhaps a marginal severe hail threat, as well. If
this activity doesn`t clear the area until mid to late afternoon
(as the 18Z HRRR shows), then the window to recover would just
be too small (in time and space) to recover. In this scenario,
the "main show" would be along and S of I-70.

Under this scenario, some of our highest severe chances might
actually be during the overnight Sun night with the arrival of
the main upper trough and northward surge of warm/moist airmass
on a strong low level jet. Obviously, a late night trough
passage isn`t optimal for robust surface based severe storms,
but some elevated supercells with large hail could certainly be
in the realm of possibilities. This could perhaps coincide with
arrival of convection from the W that developed along the Front
Range and grew upscale into the strengthening low level jet.
Again...just a lot of uncertainty and potential scenarios and
even with the large coverage of the Enhanced Risk, don`t want
people to think Sunday is a forgone conclusion of a classic
significant severe weather outbreak *for our area*. It still
could be, but I think the pattern/timing lends itself to one
where the greatest strong tornado threat lies along/S of I-70.

Regardless of exact details...think we`re looking at three solid
chances for rain between Saturday afternoon and Monday AM. Feel
fairly comfortable in saying that most people should expect at
least a half inch over the weekend, and let`s hope that at least
one of the elevated convection potentials (Sat night or Sun
night) pans out such that swaths of 1-1.5"+ also occur.

Rest of the forecast is seasonably cool with off and on rain
chances.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 1239 PM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

Significant weather: Scattered thundershowers this afternoon,
then widespread IFR to perhaps LIFR conditions this evening
through Sunday morning.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will gradually work W to E
across the terminals over the next several hours. Most of the
heavier cores are just E of EAR, and can`t rule out some small
hail for GRI through ~21-22Z. Organized showers should shift E
by this evening, but it will remain damp/dreary under IFR CIGs
and at least MVFR VSBYs all night. Will likely deteriorate to
LIFR CIGs after midnight, and VSBYs could fall to IFR, but this
is more uncertain. The next chance for showers and embedded
t-storms looks to arrive from the W late Sun AM.

Winds will mainly be NE to N through the period, averaging
10-15kt sustained, with some occasional gusts around 20kt.
Confidence: Wind & CIGs - High, Timing of rain & VSBY - Med.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...None.
KS...None.

&&

$$

UPDATE...Schuldt
DISCUSSION...Thies
AVIATION...Thies