Temperatures cookin’ as we near records this weekend

Wind gusts in eastern Nebraska were as high as 50 mph on Thursday, making for a blustery day. Omaha reported a wind gust of 53 mph, and Lincoln wasn’t far behind that.

With high pressure becoming centered over Nebraska today, skies will be clear from most clouds and winds will be light. This should make for a fantastic day to spend outside in any way you can!

We’ll be starting the uptick in temperatures on Friday with highs back in the lower 70s. But it’s this weekend that will start to feel more like summer with the warmest weather of the year so far.

Highs in the middle and upper 80s on Saturday and Sunday will flirt with records for each of those days. Sunday will be the warmest as we near almost 90 degrees.

As you can imagine with warm air at this time of the year, we’ll have a chance for thunderstorms across southeast Nebraska Monday and into Tuesday. The 80s will still be present on Monday, with a dynamic system that will bring stronger storms, if not severe, to our area. Several ingredients for storms to tap into and be severe look to be in place from Monday evening through Tuesday afternoon.

There are still evolution and timing questions with this setup, so be sure to check back in over the weekend for updates.

Local National Weather Service offices have been conducting a series of Severe Storm Spotter classes for the public. This weekend’s stop on Saturday will be in Lincoln if you’re interested!

These classes are free to attend, and all are welcome! Even if you’re just wanting to learn more about thunderstorms and what information is valuable to us as strong storms are rolling through, you’re encouraged to check it out. Even kids could find this enjoyable!

Meteorologist Jessica Blum 
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