A soggy Labor Day weekend is likely in the Lincoln area, according to the latest projections from the National Weather Service.
Meteorologist Corey Mead tells KLIN News that rain chances are going to scale up starting Saturday through Monday with a creeping storm system moving southeast through the area.
The probability of precipitation in the Lincoln area will jump to 50% by noon on Saturday, then floating between 40-75% through 6 a.m. on Monday.
“There’s will be the potential for heavier rainfall, and then with the rain and widespread clouds, we’ll see generally cooler temperatures in the mid-70s on Saturday and maybe around 70 on Sunday. By Monday, similar conditions are expected, though rain chances will begin to diminish in the afternoon,” Mead said.
These storms are not forecast to be severe, according to Mead, with the main threat being localized flooding from heavy rainfall. Frequent lightning could also be possible. Across portions of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, rainfall totals could range between 4-6 inches. Rainfall rates may peak at 1.5 to 2 inches per hour, though Mead says most of the time rates will remain below 1 inch per hour.
The exact placement of the heaviest rainfall remains uncertain. The highest flooding risk will occur where pockets of heavier rain stall or repeatedly move over the same area for several hours.
NWS’ full weather briefing packet is available below.