Mammatus clouds on the underside of an anvil cloud from thunderstorms over Kansas viewed from central Nebraska, (Brian Neben, Courtesy)
HASTINGS — While there will be extreme heat to start the work week, an advancing cold front is poised to bring scattered storm chances and cooler temperatures through the remainder of the work week.
According to the National Weather Service – Hastings, the heat index will reach up to 110-115 degrees on Monday.
By Tuesday, a southward advancing cold front will be situated across the area to start the day. Areas north of the front, roughly north of Interstate 80, will see a break from the heat with highs in the 80s.
Heat will continue south of the front, with highs once again climbing into the high 90 degree. Heat index values are expected to be above 100 again.
The cold front will serve as a boundary for scattered thunderstorm development during the evening and overnight hours on Tuesday. Model spread right now is great enough right now that exact storm placement and coverage is still in question.
However, robust atmospheric instability along the cold front will be able to support several strong to marginally severe thunderstorms. If a complex of thunderstorms can develop, a higher threshold for severe weather will be possible with initial hail and wind being the main threats.
A second round of thunderstorms could move in from western Nebraska during the overnight hours, if they can maintain themselves past sunset.
Tuesday night’s convection will push the cold front fully south of the NWS Hastings area. The high-pressure ridge aloft responsible for the earlier heat will transition to weak zonal to northwesterly flow.
Scattered storm chances will continue throughout the day, and the resulting widespread cloud coverage will keep high temperatures cooler, mainly in the mid-70s to the mid-80s.
From Thursday through Friday, there will be cooler than normal weather, with highs only reaching the mid-70s.
A series of shortwave disturbances will move through the area and contribute to widely scattered storm chances into the weekend, mainly during the evening and overnight hours as storms that initiate out west will move into the area.
