Friday Forecast: Cooler with rain possible

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - After a cooler Friday, a gradual warming trend is in the forecast for the Independence Day holiday weekend. Much of next week looks to be hot. It is going to be an active weather pattern for late this week and the first half of next week with several chances for showers and thunderstorms.

There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight with a cold front continuing to move through the area and an upper level disturbance moving through region too. Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible. Large hail and damaging winds are the main threats. The tornado threat is very low.

Friday will be partly to mostly cloudy and not as hot as Thursday. High temperatures will be in the 80s with north winds becoming east and southeast at 5 to 15 mph. There is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then a 20% chance in the afternoon. An upper level disturbance should move through the area Friday night into Saturday morning increasing the chance of rain again. Some isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms are possible in Western Nebraska and the panhandle late Friday afternoon and evening. Large hail and damaging winds are the main threats. The tornado threat is very low.

Saturday looks to be partly to mostly cloudy with high temperatures in the low 80s to low 90s. The best chance of showers and thunderstorms will be in the morning with activity lingering from Friday night. The rain chance should decrease late morning and into the afternoon before rising again Saturday night into Sunday morning as another upper level disturbance moves through the area.

The cold front that moved through the area Thursday stalls to our south in Central and Southern Kansas Saturday and much of Sunday. That front lifts back to the north as a warm front Sunday night into Monday (Independence Day). The front could once again stall and meander in Nebraska Tuesday and Wednesday. This and the possibility of more upper level disturbances moving through the region means the chance of showers and thunderstorms continues Sunday through the middle of next week. High temperatures Sunday look to be in the upper 80s to mid 90s. High temperatures Monday (Independence Day) will be in the mid 90s to around 100. It likely remains hot through the middle of next week. If you have outdoor activities planned for the holiday weekend, make sure you stay tuned to the latest forecast as periods of the day and night will feature a chance of showers and thunderstorms.

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