A pleasant finish to 2022 with an unsettled start to 2023?

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - After a topsy-turvy month of December, the weather looks to be pretty pleasant as we finish out the year as mild and dry conditions look to dominate the weekend forecast. Enjoy the quiet weather while we have it, because it looks like more unsettled weather is on tap as we head through early next week as wind, heavy snow, rain, and maybe even some isolated thunderstorms look possible early next week.

For your Friday evening, the weather will remain quiet and comfortable for late December standards. If you have any evening plans, the weather shouldn’t impact them. Just keep your coat handy as temperatures cool off Friday evening. Otherwise, as we head through the day on Saturday, we should see a mix of sun and clouds across the state with south and southwest winds at 8 to 18 MPH.

Low temperatures to start the weekend will be above average with temperatures only falling to the upper 20s for eastern Nebraska with low to mid 20s in the west.

Afternoon highs should warm into the low 40s to low 50s across the state with some of the coolest readings in northeastern Nebraska where there is some heavier snow still on the ground.

Low temperatures into Sunday morning will stay above average, with temperatures only dipping into the mid to upper 20s.

And once again, high temperatures into Sunday afternoon should be above average for southern Nebraska with highs in the mid to upper 40s. Some cooler temperatures are expected for northern and western Nebraska, with highs only warming to the mid to upper 30s as our next weather system approaches the area.

That system looks to impact the state early next week, but there are still some important details to iron out, namely the track of the system. Longer range models have continued to frustrate as they continue to advertise two very different solutions for early next week. As explained in previous write-ups, the European long range model keeps a more southerly track of an intensifying low-pressure system, which if it verifies would offer heavy rain and heavy snow to go along with quite a bit of wind across much of 10/11 Country.

The American GFS model still keeps a more northerly and westerly track of the low-pressure system early next week. This solution offers us areas of heavy snow across the Nebraska Panhandle and into the Dakotas. It also keeps Lincoln and much of eastern Nebraska in a “dry slot”, meaning little if any precipitation would fall in our area.

So, while there is good agreement between the long-range models of an intensifying and strong low-pressure system in the region early next week, the track of this system is still very much in question. Regardless of what track it does take, there won’t be a lot of cold, arctic air with this system, and it looks like a pretty wet system as well. So, as we iron out the details over the coming days, know that wet weather and windy weather is a good bet early next week.

The extended forecast then offers us colder temperatures for a brief spell late next week in the wake of that system as temperatures dip into the upper 20s for highs on Wednesday and Thursday with temperatures eventually jumping back to the upper 30s by next Friday.

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