Omaha weather turned a close watch toward Lincoln on Wednesday, after Clint Aegerter said early forecasts show a good chance of severe weather. Forecasters said storms could produce gusts up to 75 mph Wednesday evening, when people were still planning around an outdoor fireworks show at Haymarket Park.
Clint Aegerter in Valley
Aegerter, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s office in Valley, said Wednesday that early forecasts show a good chance of severe weather. The forecast centered on Wednesday evening in Lincoln, where strong wind could arrive fast enough to matter for anyone heading out after work or staying late for a scheduled event.
Haymarket Park at 10 p.m.
City officials said the fireworks show was still set to go off at 10 p.m. at Haymarket Park. That left a public event on the calendar at the same time forecasters were warning about severe storms and 75 mph gusts, a combination that put the evening’s plans in direct competition with the weather.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department also urged residents to stay safe in the extreme heat, which can lead to heat-related illnesses. For people deciding whether to stay outside Wednesday evening, the practical question was less about the forecast headline and more about whether the weather would hold long enough for the show to start as scheduled.
If the storms build in as warned, the 10 p.m. fireworks show at Haymarket Park is the first part of the evening most likely to be tested.
