Rusty’s Forecast – Severe Storms possible Friday, snow likely Saturday

A powerful weekend cold front will bring lots of rain, the risk of a few severe storms, and an abrupt end to our current warming trend! That means snow showers are likely most of the day Saturday, especially in Eastern Nebraska. There is a slight risk of damaging winds and small hail with those storms. Widespread flash flooding is not expected, but localized flash flooding in poor drainage areas is possible. Keep updated on the radar Saturday. Early clouds will give way to sunshine.

Warm air will surge north between a developing low over the middle of the country and high pressure over the Atlantic, while a second high over central Canada pushes very cold air to the south.

Mostly clear and mild through the morning. Temperatures falling from 70s to the 60s. Windy, with a northwest wind 17 to 26 miles per hour. Lows north of the lake around 60 and south of the lake around 65. Southeast wind 5 to 10 miles per hour.

Saturday could be even warmer with highs soaring through the 70s (60s shore). Windy, with a south wind 26 to 28 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 44 miles per hour.

Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Winds could gust as high as 33 miles per hour. This time, we may see two rounds of strong-to-severe thunderstorms rather than one. Friday highs will be near 80 degrees. Chilly lows in 40s, protect pets, people.

The breezy south wind won’t back down throughout the night tonight, as sustained winds will range from 15 to 25 miles per hour.

TUESDAY: Partly cloudy, windy, and warm. It is still too early to pinpoint how much sleet or snow may accumulate but it is not out of the question that some areas have significant amounts.

Snow levels are forecast to rapidly lower below pass levels on Wednesday night, and will fall to around 2500′ in the Shasta County mountains to around 3000′ for the Sierra.