Storm chances at their highest Saturday morning

As of early Friday morning, a mid-level area of low pressure known as an “MCV” (Mesoscale Convective Vortex) is moving through central Nebraska. The MCV is producing a morning round of storms in central parts of the state. These storms are clearly visible on radar as of 7 a.m. Friday.

This storm complex will push east through the morning, nearing communities like Greeley, Ord, Bartlett, Albion, and Neligh. These storms should weaken substantially as they push into northeast Nebraska.

As we head into the afternoon, a stray shower or two cannot be ruled out across central/eastern Nebraska, but the overall chances look low. We’re otherwise partly cloudy and warm on Friday, with a high near 92° in Lincoln.

Our attention quickly turns to western Nebraska by late Friday afternoon and evening as more storms develop and intensify. The Storm Prediction Center has placed western parts of the state under a Level 3/5 risk for severe weather.

In the Panhandle, very large hail and damaging winds are possible. A tornado or two also can’t be ruled out. The severe weather risk gradually tapers off the farther east you travel. Lincoln is under a Level 1/5 risk for severe weather through 7 a.m. Saturday.

As Friday night wears on, an organized line of storms may develop and push into eastern Nebraska. As this happens, the severe weather threat will transition primarily to a straight-line wind threat.

Storms would move through the Lincoln area closer to sunrise Saturday. This is not a favorable time of day for severe weather, hence the lower severe weather chances in eastern Nebraska. We should mention that there could be a few areas that miss out on the storms (especially in far southern Nebraska).

While there may be some scattered storms in northern sections of the state into Saturday afternoon, areas closer to Lincoln will likely just see mostly sunny skies. It will also be hot and muggy on Saturday. Fortunately, the humidity and temperatures scale back to more comfortable levels by Sunday as winds transition out of the northwest.

Meteorologist Malcolm Byron

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