Saturday Forecast: Hot start the weekend!

The weather into Friday evening should remain quiet with mostly clear, but hazy conditions across the state. Into the day on Saturday, a cold front is expected to slowly slide across the state. Skies are still expected to remain mostly sunny, but will be hazy again on Saturday as more wildfire smoke drifts through the area. Again, the wildfire smoke could filter enough sunshine to inhibit our full heating potential, but it still will be a hot day. The only record highs to be threatened would be in the far southwest part of the region from the Imperial to McCook areas. Saturday afternoon, a few storms are expected to develop along the High Plains in Wyoming and Colorado with that activity then drifting east into western Nebraska by Saturday evening. A few isolated severe storms will be possible, but any activity we do see is expected to be rather spotty as there’s no big “lifting” mechanism that will be around.

Mostly sunny and hazy conditions are expected on Saturday. A few storms are possible into... — Mostly sunny and hazy conditions are expected on Saturday. A few storms are possible into Saturday evening.(KNOP)

Isolated severe storms are possible Saturday afternoon and evening across the High Plains. — Isolated severe storms are possible Saturday afternoon and evening across the High Plains.(KNOP)

Again on Sunday, we’ll see a similar setup with a stationary boundary draped across the area. A few storms developing across the High Plains could drift into parts of the Panhandle, Sandhills and southwestern Nebraska with an isolated severe storm or two possible.

The rain chances through the weekend should remain fairly low - about 20% into Saturday evening for North Platte and possibly even less than that for the day on Sunday. The headline as we head into the weekend will be our temperatures as highs well into the 90s and even 100s will be possible again on Saturday. The record high in North Platte is 100° set back in 1895, which is where the current forecast sits! Dew points are expected to sit in the 50s to low 60s, so humidity shouldn’t be as much of a concern on Saturday.

Behind a weak front, cooler temperatures are expected on Sunday with highs falling into the upper 70s to upper 80s from north to south across the state. Skies look to remain mostly sunny on Sunday with a northeast breeze at around 10 to 15 MPH.

Record heat possible in the Imperial, McCook areas.. — Record heat possible in the Imperial, McCook areas..(KNOP)

Temperatures cool back to the 70s and 80s on Sunday behind a passing front. — Temperatures cool back to the 70s and 80s on Sunday behind a passing front.(KNOP)

Temperatures are expected to bounce around through the next week with highs rebounding to the upper 80s on Monday before falling into the mid 80s by Tuesday before reaching the mid to upper 80s again by next Thursday and Friday. Our next chance for rain after this weekend likely comes Monday night, Tuesday and into Tuesday night as another front moves through the state.

Near record heat gives way to up and down temperatures through much of next week. — Near record heat gives way to up and down temperatures through much of next week.(KNOP)

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