012
FXUS63 KGID 262346
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
646 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
..AVIATION UPDATE
KEY MESSAGES
- ONLY A FEW SPRINKLES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT.
- STRONG NORTH WINDS VERY SLOWLY DECREASE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY/ ANOTHER
RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF
HIGHWAY 281 ON FRIDAY.
- WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE DANGER IS LIKELY ON SATURDAY. A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT.
- UNSEASONABLE WARMTH RETURNS FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK.
- PRECIPITATION CHANCES RETURN TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY, ALTHOUGH
THESE ARE NOT NECESSARILY WIDESPREAD OR HEAVY
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 157 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
GUSTY NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE REST OF TODAY,
ONLY SLOWLY DECREASING TONIGHT. GUSTS NEAR 45 MPH REMAIN
POSSIBLE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SPRINKLES ARE POSSIBLE
TONIGHT, BUT NO MEASURABLE PRECIP IS EXPECTED AND MOST AREAS
WILL MISS OUT COMPLETELY.
ON FRIDAY, NORTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE...GENERALLY
FROM WEST TO EAST. THE POST-FRONTAL AIRMASS WILL RESULT IN HIGH
TEMPERATURES ONLY IN THE 50S.
THIS COOLDOWN WILL NOT LAST FOR LONG, THOUGH. STRONG SOUTH WINDS
RETURN TO THE SOUTH FOR SATURDAY, WHICH WILL PUSH TEMPERATURES
BACK INTO THE 60S TO NEAR 70 DEGREES (WARMEST WEST).
WINDS BACK OFF A BIT ON SUNDAY-MONDAY, BUT TEMPERATURES ARE
ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED TO REACH THE 80S UNDERNEATH A LARGE-SCALE
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. A SHORTWAVE THEN APPROACHES FROM THE WEST,
BRINGING THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN TO THE AREA TUESDAY INTO
WEDNESDAY. THAT SAID, COVERAGE OF RAIN REMAINS FAIRLY SPOTTY ON
GLOBAL MODELS.
ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVES WILL BRING CONTINUED PRECIP CHANCES FOR
THE MIDDLE TO END OF NEXT WEEK. WE REMAIN CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC
THAT THIS PATTERN CHANGE COULD RESULT IN SOME BENEFICIAL
MOISTURE FOR THE AREA, BUT LATEST LONG-TERM ENSEMBLES ARE
TRENDING A BIT DRIER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS FOR THE FIRST COUPLE
WEEKS OF APRIL.
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 618 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH A MIX OF
MID/HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS AND GOOD VSBYS.
STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS THIS EVENING WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH
OVERNIGHT...EVENTUALLY FALLING TO AROUND 15-20KTS WITH GUSTS TO
AROUND 25 KTS BY 27/04Z...AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BEGINS TO
RELAX A BIT BEHIND TODAYS COLD FRONT. COULD SEE SOME MARGINAL
LLWS DEVELOP FOR A FEW HOURS, BUT WITH SURFACE WINDS GUSTING TO
AROUND 25 KTS FOR MOST OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...LLWS WILL
LIKELY REMAIN BELOW CRITICAL THRESHOLDS. A WEAKER PRESSURE
GRADIENT NEAR DAYBREAK WILL LIKELY RESULT IN A FEW HOURS WITH
LIGHTER WINDS - FROM AROUND 27/13-27/17Z - WITH WINDS INCREASING
A BIT AFT 27/17Z AS DESPITE THE WEAKER PRESSURE GRADIENT,
MIXING SHOULD ALLOW FOR WIND GUSTS 20KTS+ DURING THE AFTERNOON
HOURS.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 220 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
THIS AFTERNOON:
THE FASTER FRONTAL TIMING HAS KEPT HUMIDITY ON THE HIGHER SIDE,
WITH MANY LOCATIONS ONLY BRIEFLY SEEING HUMIDITY DIP BELOW 30
PERCENT. REGARDLESS, WE HAVE SEEN A FEW HOTSPOTS ON GOES
SATELLITE, FUELED BY THE STRONG NORTH- NORTHEAST WIND. THE RED
FLAG WARNING FOR OUR SOUTHERN ZONES IS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE AT
8PM.
FRIDAY:
ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL NOT BE NEARLY AS HIGH AS THURSDAY, GUSTS UP
TO 30 MPH REMAIN POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY EAST OF HIGHWAY
281. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ON THE COOLER SIDE, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY
LOWER DEWPOINTS WILL RESULT IN MINIMUM HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE
10-20% RANGE. AS SUCH, A RED FLAG WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR AREAS
ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 281.
SATURDAY:
THERE CONTINUES TO BE HIGH CONFIDENCE IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS FOR SATURDAY. SOUTH WINDS MAY GUST UP TO 45 MPH, AND
HUMIDITY WILL ONCE AGAIN DIP INTO THE 10-20% RANGE ACROSS THE
AREA. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA.
SUNDAY-MONDAY:
UNSEASONABLE WARMTH RETURNS (HIGHS NEAR 80), BUT LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE WILL ALSO INCREASE SLIGHTLY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WINDS
WILL DECREASE COMPARED TO SATURDAY. ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL
CONDITIONS REMAIN POSSIBLE, BUT WIDESPREAD CRITICAL CONDITIONS
ARE LESS LIKELY.
TUESDAY:
WEST WINDS INCREASE AGAIN OF AN APPROACHING SYSTEM, POTENTIALLY
LEADING TO A MORE WIDESPREAD FIRE WEATHER THREAT AGAIN.
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ084>087.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.
RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT FRIDAY FOR NEZ040-041-
047>049-062>064-075>077-085>087.
KS...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ005>007-
017>019.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR KSZ005>007-017>019.
RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT FRIDAY FOR KSZ006-007-
018-019.
DISCUSSION...MANGELS
AVIATION...ROSSI
FIRE WEATHER...MANGELS
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