Slightly cooler, followed by a fast warmup

A cold front passed through the state on Wednesday morning. As a result, Wednesday is shaping up to be a slightly cooler day along with a breezier wind at 10-20 mph out of the ENE. We’re forecasting a high near 48° in Lincoln.

We also expect more cloud cover on Wednesday, but even those will begin to lift north on Wednesday night. We should see partly cloudy skies on Thursday. Winds will transition out of the south too, allowing highs to jump into the 70s.

This quick rise in temperature will be caused by a warm front passage. A few storms could also develop on Thursday evening. The front will be past Lincoln by that time, resulting in the best storm chances for northern Nebraska. The bulk of the storm activity appears to remain north of Lincoln.

One or two of these cells may be on the stronger side, with the primary issue being hail over 1″ in diameter. The Storm Prediction Center has placed areas of north-central Nebraska under a Level 1/5 risk for severe weather. This area includes O’Neill.

By Friday, this system will be exiting. Temperatures will likely be at their warmest on Friday morning, falling through much of the day. There’s also the chance to see some spotty showers. As cooler air continues to arrive later in the day, there’s also a chance to see a few flakes mixing in. Meanwhile, snow will be a lot more widespread in northern Nebraska.

By the time all things are said and done, precipitation totals aren’t looking all that great for the rest of the week in Lincoln. The majority of the moisture will fall to the north.

Meteorologist Malcolm Byron

Facebook: /mbyronwx

Twitter: @mbyronwx