590  
FXUS63 KGID 181944  
AFDGID  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE  
244 PM CDT MON MAY 18 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- A HANDFUL OF SEVERE STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL,  
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OR AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE  
BETWEEN 3-8PM TODAY. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL MAINLY BE FOR  
PLACES NEAR AND EAST OF HWY-81.  
 
- A FEW SHOWERS, AREAS OF DRIZZLE AND NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS  
WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE  
SEVERE THREAT.  
 
- HIGHS, FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT TODAY, WILL PEAK  
IN THE 50S AND 60S FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. A FEW NORTH CENTRAL  
KANSAS LOCATIONS AS WELL AS FAR SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AREAS  
COULD SEE HIGHS IN THE 70S.  
 
- THE NEXT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL COME WEDNESDAY NIGHT  
(40-50% CHANCE).  
 
- HIGHS THE REST OF THE WEEK WILL STAY IN THE 60S FOR  
TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY, THE LOW TO MID 70S FOR FRIDAY AND  
THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S FOR SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 244 PM CDT MON MAY 18 2026  
 
A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE ROCKIES HAS BEEN THE DRIVING  
FORCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER YESTERDAY AND TODAY. WATER VAPOR  
IMAGERY SHOWS AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE CROSSING MUCH OF THE CENTRAL  
PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CURRENTLY GOING  
UP ALONG A BOUNDARY STRETCHING FROM HEBRON, NE TO LINCOLN, KS,  
AS OF 2:30 PM CDT. THE MAIN THREAT ARE A FEW TORNADOES, GOLF  
BALL SIZE HAIL, AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. SEVERE WEATHER IS  
FORECAST FOR MITCHELL AND JEWELL CONTINUES IN KS AND THAYER  
COUNTY IN NE. STORMS WILL MOVE OUT THE REGION BY THE LATE  
AFTERNOON WITH A MAJORITY OF THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT OFF TO  
THE EAST. AREAS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT, WHICH IS MUCH OF THE  
COUNTY WARNING AREA, WILL SEE LOW STRATUS LINGERING INTO TONIGHT  
CAUSING LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE.  
 
TONIGHT, TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO DROP DOWN INTO THE MID TO  
UPPER 30S ACROSS THE COUNTY WARNING AREA. HOWEVER, CLOUD COVER  
AND ELEVATED WINDS, AROUND 15 MPH, WILL LIKELY KEEP FROST FROM  
FORMING. LOW STRATUS SHOULD START TO CLEAR OUT BY THE EARLY  
MORNING HOURS WEST TO EAST. TOMORROW, TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST  
TO CLIMB UP INTO THE 60S. LOW TEMPERATURES TOMORROW NIGHT ARE  
FORECAST TO DROP DOWN INTO THE LOWER TO MID 30S ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN HALF OF THE WARNING AREA. UNLIKE TONIGHT, WINDS ARE  
FORECAST TO BE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE ALLOWING FROST TO POTENTIALLY  
FORM.  
 
SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE CENTRAL  
PLAINS. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE  
REGION WEDNESDAY BRINGING FORTH CHANCES FOR MORE PRECIPITATION.  
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ON THE COOLER SIDE THROUGH THE MIDDLE  
OF THE WEEK AS THE COOLER AIRMASS LINGERS ACROSS THE PLAINS.  
THUS, TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO RANGE FROM THE 60S TO LOW  
70S THROUGH FRIDAY. DAILY CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS FROM  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND. NSSL MACHINE LEARNING PROGRAM  
AND THE CSU MACHINE LEARNING PROGRAM ARE PEGGING FRIDAY WITH A  
LOW CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF  
THE COUNTY WARNING AREA. IT IS POSSIBLE THIS LOW CHANCE OF  
SEVERE WEATHER SHIFTS FURTHER SOUTH. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM  
THIS WEEKEND AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD ACROSS THE  
CENTRAL US. THIS WARM PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WITH  
CONDITIONS DRYING OUT. THE NBM 25TH TO 75TH PERCENTILES HAVE  
HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE LOWER 80S TO THE MID 90S.  
THUS, FAIRLY HIGH CONFIDENCE ON ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO  
START OUT NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 101 PM CDT MON MAY 18 2026  
 
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:  
 
MVFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO ACROSS THE MUCH OF THE AREA  
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. LOW STRATUS COULD COULD CAUSE  
TO SHRA AND DZ FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE LOW STRATUS WILL  
CLEAR WEST TO EAST LATE TONIGHT/EARLY TOMORROW MORNING BRINGING  
BACK VFR CONDITIONS BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE  
FOR SO TSRA NEAR KGRI THIS AFTERNOON, BUT CONVECTION WILL LIKELY  
STAY OFF TO THE EAST. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN OUT OF THE  
NORTH THROUGH THE PERIOD. WIND GUSTS ARE FORECAST TO DIMINISH  
TONIGHT, BUT WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED AROUND 14 KTS DURING THE  
OVERNIGHT HOURS.  
 
 
   
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NE...NONE.  
KS...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...JOHNSON  
AVIATION...JOHNSON  
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