601
FXUS63 KGID 232334
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
634 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- FIRE WEATHER REMAINS THE PRIMARY CONCERN THROUGH THE NEXT
WEEK. SEE THE FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW.
- RECORD WARMTH IS EXPECTED AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY.
- THURSDAY WILL BE WINDY WITH A LOW CHANCE FOR LIGHT RAIN/SNOW.
LITTLE TO NO IMPACT IS EXPECTED, AND MANY AREAS WILL REMAIN
COMPLETELY DRY.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 143 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2026
SOUTHEAST WINDS PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, GRADUALLY
DIMINISHING THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH
BREAKS IN CLOUD COVER TO ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO ONCE AGAIN FALL
TO NEAR FREEZING BY TUESDAY MORNING.
WINDS BECOME MORE SOUTHERLY ON TUESDAY AS UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING
BUILDS OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. THIS WILL ALLOW SOLIDLY ABOVE-
NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO RETURN TO THE AREA. WIDESPREAD HIGHS IN
THE 70S ARE EXPECTED...WHICH IS 10-20 DEGREES ABOVE
CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS.
WEDNESDAY TRENDS EVEN WARMER AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVES
OVERHEAD AND WE SEE WEST-NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS. BASED ON
THE NBM, THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE (90%) THAT WE WILL REACH/EXCEED
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES AT BOTH GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS. THE
CURRENT RECORDS ARE 88 AND 85 DEGREES, RESPECTIVELY.
A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING, USHERING IN
STRONGER NORTH WINDS. GUSTS 35 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY IN MOST
AREAS, AND THERE IS A CHANCE (20%) THAT SOME AREAS SEE GUSTS IN
EXCESS OF 50 MPH. THE TIMING OF THE FRONT WILL ALSO RESULT IN A
WIDE RANGE (AND UNCERTAINTY) OF HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE
AREA. A SHORTWAVE MAY BRING SOME LIGHT RAIN/SNOW TO PORTIONS OF
THE AREA, MAINLY DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. THAT SAID,
THE PROBABLY FOR ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION IS LESS THAN 5%...AND
MANY AREAS WILL REMAIN COMPLETELY DRY.
FRIDAY WILL REMAIN ON THE COOLER SIDE, BUT ABOVE-NORMAL
TEMPERATURES ARE FAVORED TO RETURN OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK. DETAILS REMAIN VERY UNCERTAIN, BUT THERE ARE
EARLY INDICATIONS THAT WE COULD TRANSITION TO A MORE ACTIVE
(WETTER) PATTERN TO START THE MONTH OF APRIL.
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 620 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2026
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
VFR CONDITIONS ARE VERY LIKELY TO RETAIN ACROSS THE 0Z TAF
PERIOD (80+% CONFIDENCE) WITH IN AND OUT BROKEN CLOUD BASES
STAYING ABOVE 10,000FT. WINDS WILL STAY OUT OF THE SOUTH THROUGH
THE PERIOD, BLOWING BETWEEN 5-15KTS AND GUSTING AS HIGH AS
20-25KTS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS TUESDAY. THE CURRENT GUSTY
WINDS AT KEAR (CURRENTLY GUSTING AS HIGH AS 30-36KTS) SHOULD
SOON LIGHTEN WITH GUSTS STAYING BELOW 20KTS THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS FOR BOTH KGRI & KEAR. NO PRECIPITATION IS
EXPECTED.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 143 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2026
TODAY:
CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES ON THE COOLER SIDE, AND
THEREFORE HUMIDITY MAY ONLY BRIEFLY DIP TO NEAR 20% IN WESTERN
AREAS. NEVERTHELESS, SOUTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST 25-35
MPH THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON BEFORE SLOWLY DIMINISHING. AS SUCH,
THE RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN PLACE UNTIL 9PM.
TUESDAY:
TUESDAY WILL BE WARMER WITH MINIMUM HUMIDITY IN THE 15-20% RANGE
IN WESTERN AREAS. SOUTH WINDS HAVE TRENDED UPWARDS SLIGHTLY, BUT
ARE STILL EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN WESTERN ZONES IN THE MID TO
LATE AFTERNOON. NEAR-CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE STILL EXPECTED, BUT
THERE SHOULD BE LIMITED OVERLAP OF ANY CRITICAL CONDITIONS.
WEDNESDAY:
LIKE SATURDAY, WEDNESDAY WILL BE VERY WARM AND DRY, BUT WINDS
CURRENTLY LOOK TO BE MORE MARGINAL THAN ON WEDNESDAY (SUSTAINED
10-20 MPH). IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DEEP MIXING COULD TREND THE
GUSTS HIGHER, BUT THIS IS MORE LIKELY IN AREAS FURTHER TO THE
WEST.
THURSDAY:
AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THURSDAY WILL FEATURE STRONG NORTH TO NORTH-
NORTHEASTERLY WINDS. THESE WINDS WILL LEAD TO A HEIGHTENED FIRE
WEATHER CONCERN, BUT FALLING TEMPERATURES MAY PREVENT HUMIDITY
FROM DIPPING TO CRITICAL LEVELS.
FRIDAY:
BREEZY NORTH WINDS CONTINUE, AND DESPITE THE COOLER AIRMASS,
HUMIDITY IS LIKELY TO DIP LOW ENOUGH TO FUEL AT LEAST A NEAR-
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER THREAT FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA.
SATURDAY/SUNDAY:
WARMER TEMPERATURES RETURN, ALONG WITH BREEZY SOUTH WINDS. NEAR
CRITICAL TO CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY FOR PORTIONS OF THE
AREA...ESPECIALLY ON SATURDAY.
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ060-072-
073-082-083.
KS...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ005-017.
DISCUSSION...MANGELS
AVIATION...STUMP
FIRE WEATHER...MANGELS
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