Very warm, but very conditional severe threat Thursday night

The next topic of Severe Weather Awareness Week is hail and wind safety. You can find more information as a resource in this separate article.

We are very warm so far Thursday morning: temperatures have been around the upper 40s and upper 50s before sunrise.

This afternoon will be very warm as well as a warm front lifts through southeast Nebraska, coming close to record high temperatures in Lincoln (record today: 84° in 1905).

The breeze Thursday afternoon will come from the southeast around 10-20 mph, a bit higher toward Kansas.

Storms are possible this evening south and east from Lincoln, but there’s a big “if” as to whether they develop at all.

The Storm Prediction Center does highlight Beatrice and areas east toward the Missouri River in a Slight (Level 2 of 5) risk. **IF** storms can develop, they would threaten severe weather in a window from 6PM-10PM tonight, then quickly clear out to the east.

The main threat will be hail up to 1″ in diameter with these storms if they pop. There’s a low-end threat for a weak, spin-up tornado and gusty winds up to 60 mph.

The areas of Nebraska included in each tornado, hail and wind risk of severe weather can be flipped through below:

Then there will be another lower-end risk for severe weather with a cold front moving into central and northeast Nebraska Friday evening, beyond about 6 p.m. again. There is a Marginal (Level 1 of 5) risk from North Platte and McCook toward Sioux City.

The main threats are quarter-size hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph.

This active pattern for weather will continue for the weekend and early next week. We’re still looking into widespread rain possible on Saturday, before some snow tries to mix in later on Sunday.

Meteorologist Jessica Blum 
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