December sunrise near Kearney, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
HASTINGS — The whiplash of temperatures will continue this week, with Thursday looking to be the warmest day of the work week, followed by the coldest the very next day.
According to the National Weather Service – Hastings, an upper-level trough of low pressure will start to move over the central Plains on Tuesday. An attendant cold front with this feature will move into south central Nebraska during the days.
High temperatures on Tuesday are expected to reach the mid-40s and low 50s. The front will continue to push through the area during the evening and overnight hours, with overnight temperatures dropping into the mid-teens.
Winds will shift to southerly on Wednesday as a surface area of high pressure moves just to the east of the region. It will move close enough to the region to result in high temperatures to the mid-30s to near 50 degrees, with the coldest temperatures in the eastern part of the NWS Hastings forecast area.
A new surface trough will start to move over the northern and central Plains on Wednesday night. Winds will shift to being out of the east as the surface low moves along the Nebraska-South Dakota border.
Temperatures are expected to warm into the low 50s and low 60s ahead of another approaching cold front.
“Winds will become southerly Friday afternoon as the surface high moves to the east of the area. However, high temperatures on Friday are only expected to be in the low 30s to mid-40s with the surface high still having an impact. Low temperatures Friday night will be similar or slightly warmer than the previous night,” per NWS Hastings.
Only a slight warm up is expected for Saturday, with temperatures only reaching the mid-30s and upper 40s with a surface area of high pressure still in the vicinity.
“Low temperatures Saturday night will only be about a degree or two warmer than the previous night with winds out of the south. Winds will increase out of the south on Sunday with temperatures warming up into the low 40s to low 50s. Low temperatures Sunday night will mostly be in the 20s,” NWS Hastings states.
Day by day, Tuesday will be partly sunny with a high near 47. Winds will be out of the south at 10 to 15 mph, shifting to the northwest by afternoon.
Wednesday will be sunny with a high near 42. Winds will be out of the northwest at 5 to 10 mph, shifting to the south in the afternoon. Thursday will be sunny with a high near 54.
Friday will be sunny with a high only reaching 37.
Saturday will be sunny with a high near 41 and Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 43 degrees.
