Forecast Discussion
NWS Omaha/Valley, NE

902
FXUS63 KOAX 182328
AFDOAX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
628 PM CDT Sat Jul 18 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Isolated showers and non-severe thunderstorms remain possible
  early this evening. Probability of occurrence 10-20%.

- A Heat Advisory is in effect for northeast Nebraska Sunday and
  much of the area Monday. Expect heat index values in the 100
  to 110 range in the afternoon. Overnight heat indices will
  remain in the mid 70s, providing little relief.

- Cooler weather returns by midweek, with high temperatures
  falling back into the 80s. Along with more seasonable
  temperatures, there will be increasing chances for showers and
  thunderstorms Wednesday night into early Friday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 213 PM CDT Sat Jul 18 2026

Rest of today and tonight...

Satellite imagery continues to show an increase in cumulus
across the area due to diurnal mixing of hot and humid air. Most
dense coverage is along and north of a frontal boundary that is
pushing into the area due to modest isentropic ascent along the
310K surface. CAMS continue to show isolated showers, and
perhaps a thunderstorm or two, developing this afternoon along
the boundary, which essentially will park itself essentially
from Verdel, NE to Clarinda, IA later this afternoon. Very modest
forcing for ascent is possible this afternoon and early evening
from a jet streak moving across the Great Lakes region. H7
temperatures will be warm, 10-12C, and H5 temperatures -4 to 0C,
which will lead to warm rain process, with perhaps a little
glaciation in the upper mid- levels to permit charge separation
and lightning. Localized heavy rainfall and wind gusts up 45 mph
as storms collapse are the primary threats. Any convection that
develops will dissipate with the setting sun, especially since
the jet streak will be too far removed to assist with diabatic
forcing.

Sunday and Monday...

The two most impactful days in the short term. Hot temperatures
are expected, especially on Monday. The Extreme Forecast Index
continues to highlight a 90+% temperature event for Monday, and
a shift of tails of 1-2. The EFI has shown this extreme event
occurring for the last 3 model cycles. Continued and expanded
the heat advisory for northeast Nebraska for Sunday, where
actual temperatures tomorrow will be around 100, and apparent
temperatures 100-108. Conditions do not improve much overnight,
with apparent temperatures 75 to 80. For Monday, actual
temperatures from 100-107 are expected with heat indices
100-110 areawide. Dewpoints in the 70s will lead to wet-bulb
temperatures in the 80s and 90s. Given there will be several
outdoor sporting events/championships where children are
participating, I decided to hoist a heat advisory for most of
east central and southeast Nebraska along with western Iowa.
The fly in ointment will be whether convection late in the day
on Monday impact temperatures. Models have been advertising a
disorganized MCS developing Sunday night and moving across
mainly South Dakota. This will allow a stationary front to move
slightly northward into northern Nebraska on Monday. The hot and
humid airmass will lead to a lower tropospheric instability. I
expect afternoon cumulus and towering cumulus to develop during
the afternoon, with frontal and diabatic effects to develop
isolated showers/tstorms. Dynamic forcing increases late in the
day as a jet streak moves across the northern plains into the
upper midwest. This jet streak digs further south than the one
affecting the area today, thus coverage of convection may
increase.

Tuesday through Saturday...

The passage of the jet streak and low level cool advection will
push the front into Kansas. The most anticipated effect will be
the decrease in temperatures. Temperatures on Saturday only will
decrease about 10 degrees into the 90s, but as upper level
heights decrease even further, temperatures the rest of the
period will be in the 80s. Also something to look forward, are
periodic chances of showers and storms, as a series of
disturbances traverse the upper ridge axis over Texas, while
simultaneously the polar jet remains active and will further
increase opportunities for atmospheric ascent.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/...
Issued at 628 PM CDT Sat Jul 18 2026

VFR conditions favored through the period, but will need to keep
an eye on isolated shower and storm development early in the
period and potential fog around 08-12Z. Fog appears most likely
at OFK and LNK, but winds aloft still look strong enough to keep
it pretty patchy if it does develop. In addition, there are some
signs for potential MVFR ceilings as clouds first develop Sunday
morning, but they should quickly rise above 3000 ft. Otherwise,
winds will go from easterly to southeasterly and should remain
under 10 kts through the period.

&&

.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...Heat Advisory from 10 AM to 10 PM CDT Monday for NEZ015-018-
     030>034-042>045-050>053-067-068-091-093.
     Heat Advisory from noon Sunday to 10 PM CDT Monday for NEZ011-
     012-016-017.
IA...Heat Advisory from 10 AM to 10 PM CDT Monday for IAZ043-055-
     056-069-079-080-090-091.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Fortin
AVIATION...CA

NWS OAX Office Area Forecast Discussion

Forecast Discussion
NWS Hastings, NE

896
FXUS63 KGID 182322
AFDGID

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hastings NE
622 PM CDT Sat Jul 18 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

-  Hot and humid weather continues through Monday, with highs
   and heat index values in the 100s possible on Monday.

- Isolated-scattered showers/storms possible through sunset
  across mainly far northern and far southeastern portions of
  the area.

- Cooler (near normal) weather arrives by the middle of next
  week with highs in the 80s to low 90s.

- More widespread precipitation chances (20-50%) arrive
  Wednesday onwards.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 240 PM CDT Sat Jul 18 2026

This afternoon-Tonight...

Temperatures this afternoon are currently in the 90s with heat index
values expected to top out around 100 degrees. Two main areas of
isolated-scattered shower/thunderstorm development are possible this
afternoon-evening, though an isolated storm can`t be ruled out
across most of the area. The first is mainly along and north of
Highway 92 in Nebraska, with a second area possible for areas along
and south of a Stockton-Hebron line. Whatever showers/storms do form
look to be fairly brief and weak given poor shear. These summertime
pop up storms should wane around sunset as stability increases. Lows
tonight will be in the upper 60s to low 70s with light winds.

Sunday...

Ridging aloft over the eastern Rockies/western Plains continues on
Sunday. At the surface another hot and humid day is expected across
the area as temperatures climb into the 90s. Similar to
today/Saturday, heat index values reach the upper 90s to around 100
degrees during the afternoon/early evening. Will need to keep an eye
on the potential for a few scattered, non-severe storms to move into
far northern portions of the area Sunday night, though confidence is
too low to include in the forecast at this time.

Monday...

Monday remain on track to be the hottest day of the forecast period
as highs soar into the upper 90s to low 100s. It`s possible that
temperatures could be a few degrees too warm if dewpoints are slow
to mix out. Regardless of the exact high, dewpoints combined with
hot temperatures will result in heat index values in the 100s on
Monday. A Heat advisory will likely be needed for at least a portion
of the forecast area given the support for fairly widespread
low-mid 100s heat index values. A cold front pushes into the
area late Monday evening-night. An isolated storm is possible
along this front as it moves into northern portions of the
forecast area, but any storm will likely be on the downtrend as
it enters the forecast area given the time of arrival.

Tuesday Onwards...

Aloft a trough diving into the Midwest begins to transition the
upper level flow into a northwesterly flow regime on Tuesday.
While slightly cooler than on Monday, temperatures on Tuesday
remain hot as they climb into the 90s (warmest KS). Temperatures
sink towards their climatological normals Wednesday onwards
with highs in the 80s to low 90s. More widespread precipitation
chances (20-50%) arrive on Wednesday and continue through the
end of the forecast period. Details on these chances will become
clearer as we get closer in time.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/...
Issued at 622 PM CDT Sat Jul 18 2026

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

VFR conditions will prevail. Light wind are present and
generally variable across the area and will remain that way
through most of the forecast. Winds will become a touch stronger
- about 7-10kts Sunday afternoon and be out of the south to
  southeast. A few scattered mid clouds will be present during
  the afternoon Sunday.

&&

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

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Davis
AVIATION...Billings Wright

NWS GID Office Area Forecast Discussion