Eastern Nebraska is bracing for another round of thunderstorms overnight into Thursday morning, and the most dangerous window is expected between midnight and 9 a.m. Thursday. Strong to severe storms could develop as a low-pressure system moving out of Colorado pushes into the region, bringing large hail, damaging wind and heavy rain to parts of the state.
The biggest hail threat is centered in far eastern Nebraska, where some stones could grow larger than 2.50 inches in diameter. The same storms could also dump rain at rates of up to 2 inches per hour, raising the risk of localized flooding or flash flooding as storms move through central and eastern Nebraska. A low chance for a tornado or two cannot be ruled out.
People along and just north of Interstate 80 are most likely to see storms form late tonight and then lift northward through the early morning hours. The atmosphere will be exceptionally efficient at producing heavy rain, and storms could come in multiple rounds, which would make any flooded roadways or poor-drainage areas more dangerous before dawn.
The unusual part of the forecast is how fast the weather changes after the threat window closes. Storms are expected to clear by mid to late morning Thursday, and skies should become mainly sunny by Thursday afternoon. Even so, it will not feel settled right away, with highs only in the upper 70s to low 80s and northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts between 30 and 40 mph expected Thursday afternoon and evening.
That quick swing leaves little room for complacency. The severe weather threat is concentrated in a narrow overnight period, but the combination of large hail, damaging wind and heavy rainfall means the commute before sunrise could be the riskiest part of the day for much of eastern Nebraska. After that, the state moves into a drier stretch Friday, before another chance for rain and thunderstorms returns Saturday, especially in southeastern Nebraska.
