564 FXUS63 KGID 052148 AFDGID Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hastings NE 448 PM CDT Sat Jul 5 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - The vast majority of our forecast area (CWA) gets a chance to dry out/allow localized elevated water levels to continue receding over these next 24-30 hours, before our next chances for POSSIBLY more widespread convection arrives during mainly the Sunday evening through Monday night-Tues AM time frames (separate rounds possible). - Most of our CWA is under at least a Marginal Risk for severe storms...with parts of mainly our western half under a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5)...on both the Day 2-3 SPC severe outlooks...as mainly each evening-overnight COULD feature convective complexes with mainly a damaging wind/heavy rain/possibly large hail threat. - Additional periodic thunderstorm chances exist during parts of mainly the Tues-Fri time frame, but as is typical of these "summery" weather patterns driven by weaker disturbances/more subtle forcing, plenty of uncertainty lingers in the details for the first 48 hours of the forecast...let alone beyond. - Temperature-wise: Very "normal" overall by early-July standards, with highs most days mid 80s-low 90s, and lows most nights somewhere in the 60s. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 447 PM CDT Sat Jul 5 2025 -- 7-DAY FORECAST BIG PICTURE COMMENTS, CHANGES, UNCERTAINTIES: - First of all, no major/significant changes from previous/overnight forecast issuance, as we remain in a relatively active summer pattern featuring seasonably-warm (but not overly-hot) temperatures and multiple chances for showers/thunderstorms. However, these chances (and any associated severe weather threats) truly need to be taken "one day at a time" as forcing is mainly subtle/mesoscale-driven and sometimes what happens (or doesn`t happen) the previous night/morning can have a big influence on what happens (or doesn`t happen) the next day. - Although most folks across our CWA will surely welcome more rain chances, parts of especially our northern, far western and even far southeastern CWA have seen some pretty hefty totals over the last 1-10 days...making these areas increasingly-prone to at least minor flooding issues compared to...well...most recent summers! Long story short...we`ll have to keep a close eye on possible hydro issues as well over the coming days. The VERY GENERAL 7-day cumulative rainfall forecast from WPC calls for a widespread 1-3" across most of our CWA (with localized higher amounts quite possible). -- 7-DAY FORECAST CHRONOLOGICAL DETAILS: - CURRENT/RECENT WEATHER SCENE AS OF 4 PM: Overall no big surprises to speak of today. In the wake of one final round of overnight/early AM convection that departed east out of our CWA by around 6 AM (but not before dumping a few localized "bullseyes" of at least 2-3" of rain in parts of our far east counties such as Thayer), the vast majority of our CWA has enjoyed a dry, mostly sunny and overall-seasonable day, with fairly light northerly-to-westerly breezes mainly around 10 MPH (occasional higher gusts) and high temps on track to top out mainly mid-upper 80s Nebraska/low-mid 90s KS. The only exception (so far) to the dry day has been in our far northeast zones (namely Polk County), where some residual lift on the backside of a slowly-departing shortwave trough (its axis currently centered over the NE/IA border) has promoted some very spotty/weak convection over the last few hours, although the majority of this activity has remained a few counties north- northeast of our CWA altogether. Meanwhile farther south, although no showers/storms have formed thus far, another area of agitated cumulus is noted along the FAR southern edges of our CWA in KS, where the weak front/wind shift is in the process of stalling out near/slightly north of the I-70 corridor. - LATE THIS AFTERNOON-OVERNIGHT: Leaning heavily on higher-res, short-term models such as HRRR (along with observational trends), have kept thunderstorm chances (PoPs) below the mentionable 15 percent threshold across the vast majority of our CWA (aka...a dry forecast). The only two/limited exceptions are: 1) Slight/isolated chances through around 8 PM in our northeast...mainly east of a Greeley-Geneva line...to account for additional spotty/weak thunderstorm development on the backside of the departing wave...2) a stripe of slight chance PoPs for the evening hours mainly in Rooks/Osborne/Mitchell counties in our extreme south...JUST IN CASE something is able to overcome weak upper forcing and develop near weak surface/low-level convergence zone. However, this would appear to be a touch more likely JUST south of our CWA altogether within the I-70 KS counties. In both areas, severe storms are considered fairly unlikely due to anemic deep- layer shear around 20KT at most...although some gusty winds cannot be totally ruled out. For the post-midnight/late-night time frame, have maintained a dry forecast CWA-wide, as convection across the greater region should focus both to our south (central/southern KS) and also to our northwest (northwest NE/southwest SD). Under what should be mostly clear skies and in the presence of light north-northeasterly breezes, there is a non-zero chance of at least patchy/mainly light fog very late tonight into early Sunday AM, and have officially introduced this to the forecast for most of our Nebraska CWA (widespread and/or dense fog issues not currently anticipated). Low temps aimed 63-69 across most of our CWA, with typically- cooler far northern spots such as Ord possibly TRYING to dip toward the upper 50s (but have officially gone with low 60s there). - SUNDAY DAYTIME (through around 7 PM): Although some models at least weakly suggest that perhaps some rogue convection could clip mainly our western counties already in the morning, and possibly again (again mainly west) mid-late afternoon, currently have fairly high confidence that the vast majority of our CWA gets through at least 7 PM dry/storm-free (although not high, our coverage of PoPs in our western half could easily prove overdone for the afternoon). Assuming it does indeed stay dry/mostly dry, it will simply be another "standard issue" summer day with high temps aimed very similar to today (mid-upper 80s Neb/low 90s KS), as fairly light (mainly around 10 MPH/gusts up to around 15) breezes prevail mainly easterly. - SUNDAY EVENING-OVERNIGHT (after 7 PM): Let the next in a parade of fairly uncertain/"murky" thunderstorm and possible severe weather chances begin! Taking latest higher res models such as HRRR/NAMNest at face value, most of the eastern half of our CWA should remain dry, while at least parts of mainly the western 1/3 to possibly 1/2 of our CWA could see potentially more isolated early-evening storm development, followed by possibly more widespread activity in the form of a mesoscale convective complex (MCS) rolling in from the west-northwest later in the evening-overnight. That being said, even at this fairly close time range, models all show at least slightly different scenarios...some certainly more aggressive than others. Overall cannot argue with SPC focusing their Slight Risk of severe in mainly our western 1/3, as deep- layer shear does look a bit more favorable than it did even 24 hours ago to support some severe potential (increasing to around 30-40KT). In other departments: low temps again mainly mid 60s most areas. - MONDAY-MONDAY NIGHT: Our potentially active pattern persists, as we reside under continued west-northwest flow aloft containing various/low- amplitude disturbances, along the periphery of a larger-scale upper ridge/high centered well to our southwest over the Desert Southwest/northern Mexico. Although details still leave plenty to be desired, the overall GENERAL expectation is for most of the day to be dry (perhaps with some lingering/weak morning convection from any Sunday night activity), before the evening- overnight hours again turn active with the potential for another larger-scale storm complex/MCS to roll into/across much of our CWA from west-northwest to east-southeast. Should this transpire, the main threats would be damaging winds/localized heavy rain, with overall-lesser chances (albeit non-zero) for large hail and possibly a brief tornado or two. Temperature-wise, assuming possible lingering early-day convection/associated clouds depart in a timely manner, highs should make the mid-upper 80s. - TUESDAY DAYTIME-THURSDAY NIGHT: Although the upper pattern remains fairly similar through most of this time frame (mainly west-northwesterly flow), in theory it looks a bit less active (possibly due in part to slightly warmer air aloft/increased capping), and (at least for now) we have more of a dry forecast compared to the preceding few days/nights. That being said, at least spotty, mainly overnight convection is still quite possible. Temps look to go on a slight warming trend, peaking on Thursday with highs mainly low 90s Nebraska/mid 90s KS. - FRIDAY-SATURDAY: Although plenty far out in time to have much faith in anything resembling finer details, in theory things turn a bit more active and also a bit cooler...as both the latest ECMWF/GFS depict a bit stronger/less subtle upper disturbance moving out of the Northern Rockies and into the Northern/Central Plains, and in turn driving a halfway-decent surface cold front southward through the region. Although not a dramatic cool-down by any means, this is reflected in our temperature forecasts, with highs dropping down a good 5-10 degrees from Thursday...with most areas Fri-Sat aimed only low-mid 80s (except our KS zones Friday which are still upper 80s/near 90). && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1258 PM CDT Sat Jul 5 2025 For KGRI/KEAR Airports: - General overview (including winds): High confidence in dry/thunderstorm-free conditions throughout the period, and in VFR ceiling/visibility through the vast majority of it. The main uncertainty lies very late tonight into early Sunday morning, when at least some (not all) models/guidance suggest light fog and/or low stratus development. Winds will not be much of an issue throughout, with sustained speeds at-or-below 10KT the vast majority of the time as direction shifts from northerly/northwesterly this afternoon- tonight, to more easterly Sunday daytime. - Ceiling/visibility details: Again, extremely high confidence in VFR ceiling/visibility through at least these first 12-15 hours (although a scattered to possibly briefly-broken, low-end VFR stratocumulus deck is likely this afternoon). However, the main question marks are focused especially 09-13Z, during which time mainly light fog and/or MVFR (perhaps IFR?) stratus cannot be ruled out. Currently don`t have enough confidence in this scenario to indicate prevailing sub-VFR conditions, but will at least "hint" at it with 6SM BR/SCT010 groups. IF a lower ceiling does manage to develop, it could stick around beyond 13Z, but would likely scatter out by the end of the period. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. KS...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Pfannkuch AVIATION...Pfannkuch