Storms west Friday night; better chances come Saturday

Initially tonight, storms will once again be possible out west. This time, the Slight (Level 2 of 5) risk stretches from Valentine down to McCook, with damaging winds the primary concern as the storms start to form a line. We’ll be watching for our friends and family out west to relay the latest.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued for central and SW Nebraska through 1:00 a.m. Saturday. Main concerns as we see these storms continue east will be damaging winds (70 mph possible) and large hail (1.5″).

These storms should fizzle out by the time they get closer to the Tri-Cities and Lincoln, but can’t rule out a stray shower or two once more.

In terms of Friday night plans, things should be quiet and enjoyable for the fair or other activities!

But our better chance for rain and severe weather comes Saturday. At the earliest, Stormcast has hinted at storms by the early to mid-afternoon timeframe. They’ll be firing along a cold front moving through, and that front will largely determine the timing of this event.

Scattered storms will be possible through the night, coming to an end shortly after midnight. Latest models have hinted at a little less coverage, but the environment will support whatever storms do happen.

The risk we find ourselves under for Saturday is largely a Slight (Level 2 of 5) risk, with an update from the Storm Prediction Center expected late tonight/early Saturday. As storms get going, all severe modes will be possible. Mainly large hail and damaging winds will be of concern, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.

After Saturday, we’ll be on the cooler side of the system for the second half of the weekend. Temperatures will be a lot cooler with light showers possible. Winds will also come back into play, as we could see gusts as high as 40 mph return back to the region.

Then by the start of next week, things start to settle a bit more. Expecting cooler than average temperatures for some time to come.

Meteorologist Jessica Blum 
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