LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Nebraska is shifting into a more active weather pattern Thursday evening that will bring daily chances for showers and thunderstorms through the coming week, with a rainfall potential of 1 to 3 inches across the state over the course of the next week.
Thursday Evening into Friday
Rain chances are building into the area from the south late Thursday afternoon and evening, with the greatest rainfall expected between 6 p.m. and the overnight hours. Central and eastern Nebraska will see the best chances for rain during this first wave. The good news: lightning will be rare with this system, and it won’t be a heavy downpour.
Rain will linger through Friday morning and into the early afternoon before gradually clearing out. Short term modeling continues to hint at the chance for some isolated to widely scattered thundershowers into Friday afternoon and early evening. Areas along and southwest of a line from Columbus to Lincoln have a better than 50% chance of getting at least a half-inch of rain by Friday night.
Cooler temperatures are expected Friday due to cloud cover and lingering rain, with highs in the low 70s — below normal for late May. The combination of the warmer overall pattern and lack of heavy rain means most outdoor plans should be able to continue as scheduled.
Isolated thunderstorms are possible Friday afternoon across eastern Nebraska, which could impact Husker baseball. The opening game of the NCAA Regionals against South Dakota State is scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch and carries the greatest chance for potential weather delays due to lightning and thunderstorms. The late game Friday, with an 8 p.m. first pitch, is less likely to be impacted.
Saturday’s Storm Threat…