Another round of severe weather possible Wednesday

UPDATE – 8:11 a.m. Wednesday:

The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded portions of southeast Nebraska to a Level 3/5 risk for severe weather with their 8 a.m. update. Areas shaded in orange have the highest severe weather potential as we head into late Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Very large hail, damaging straight-line winds, and even an isolated tornado are not out of the question. Wednesday is a day you’ll want to have a way to receive weather alerts and have a contingency plan if you have any outdoor activities planned during the evening.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Severe storms rolled through parts of the state on Tuesday night. Although some missed out, those who did see storms saw a lot of lightning and even some hail.

Wednesday features more clouds, with mostly cloudy skies expected for much of the day. A cold front will position itself directly over southeast Nebraska on Wednesday afternoon, which will produce a variation in high temperatures. Lincoln has the potential to reach the low-80s, but it will be cooler to the west and warmer to the east.

The cold front will also serve as a trigger point for thunderstorm development late Wednesday afternoon and evening. Who ends up seeing storms is dependent on the placement of this front.

A Level 2/5 risk for severe weather (yellow-shaded area) is in place for areas that have the best chance of seeing the front set up favorably to encounter storms. The farther southeast you are located, the better your odds of seeing storms.

Any time after 4 p.m. is fair game to see storm development. These cells should become severe rather quickly. Storm chances don’t necessarily go down after sunset either, as the low-level jet will be at play. We could see another round of strong storms past midnight as well.

As was the case with Tuesday night’s storms, some areas will miss out on the rain. Nevertheless, the radar will be active in the southeast corner of the state on Wednesday night. Areas that see storms could end up seeing an inch or two of rain.

Things turn a little cooler on Thursday, with some spotty showers and rumbles of thunder remaining. By Friday and Saturday, we should dry out and highs will fall into the 50s.

Meteorologist Malcolm Byron

Facebook: /mbyronwx

Twitter: @mbyronwx