874  
FXUS63 KGID 202233  
AFDGID  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE  
433 PM CST WED NOV 20 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6PM TODAY ACROSS SOUTH  
CENTRAL NEBRASKA DUE TO GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY.  
 
- THE STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS HAVE BEGAN TO TREND DOWNWARD THIS  
EVENING AROUND 25-35MPH AND GUSTING AS HIGH AS 35-40MPH. WINDS ARE  
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DROP THIS EVENING.  
 
-DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH HIGHS IN THE 40S  
AND 50S.  
 
-A DECREASE IN TEMPERATURES MONDAY COULD LIMITS HIGHS TO THE MID 30S  
TO LOWER 40S.  
 
-A GRADUALLY INCREASING SIGNAL FOR THE AREAS FIRST SEASON  
SNOWFALL HAS BEGUN TO APPEAR ON THE HORIZON FOR DAYS 7-10.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 432 PM CST WED NOV 20 2024  
 
TONIGHT(NEAR-TERM)...  
 
WE PICK UP THE FORECAST TODAY WITH STRONG WINDS BLOWING OUT OF THE  
WEST-NORTHWEST 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS GENERALLY 35 TO 50 MPH. THE  
STRONGEST WINDS ARE CONCENTRATED TO THE NORTH, ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-  
80 (A FEW LOCATIONS HAVE EVEN GUSTED UP TO 50-58MPH). WE HAVE SEEMED  
TO PASS OVER OUR PEAK GUSTS FOR THE DAY AS WINDS ARE NOW ON THE  
DOWNWARD TREND AND EXPECTED TO SHARPLY DROP OFF OVER THE NEXT FEW  
HOURS.  
 
THE STRONG WINDS MIXED WITH LOWER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES (15-25%)  
PROMPTED THE OUT-OF-CAUTION RED FLAG WARNING (RFW) ACROSS ALL OF OUR  
NEBRASKA COUNTIES TODAY THROUGH 6PM. THOUGH THE RECENT RAIN EVENT  
EARLIER THIS WEEK DEPOSITED BETWEEN 0.5 TO 2 INCHES AREAWIDE WITH  
SOME SIGNS OF MOISTURE RETENTION IN THE SOILS AND RELATIVELY COOLER  
TEMPERATURES (MID 40S TO LOW 50S), THE HEIGHTENED WINDS WITH THE  
ISOLATED POSSIBILITY OF A BREAKOUT FAST SPREADING FIRE WARRANTED A  
PRECAUTIONARY RFW.  
 
THESE STRONG WINDS HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY POWERED FROM THE STRONG  
PRESSURE GRADIENT CAUSED PARTLY FROM THE OCCLUDED CYCLONE, WHICH  
PREVIOUSLY TOOK A TRIP THROUGH THE AREA ON MONDAY. THIS LOW PRESURE  
CENTER IS NOW HOVERING JUST NORTH OF MINNESOTA AND WILL BE ON ITS WAY  
TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST U.S.  
 
THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY (SHORT-TERM)...  
 
A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY SITUATED OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL AND EAST  
PORTIONS OF NEBRASKA, IS EXPECTED TO EVENTUALLY DROP ON DOWN THROUGH  
THE NIGHT, SETTING UP THE SCENARIO FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS TO DROP TO  
THEIR COLDEST POINT SO FAR THIS SEASON (LOW TO MID 20S). WIND CHILLS  
THURSDAY MORNING WILL REACH INTO THE TEENS FOR A MAJORITY OF THE  
AREA AND EVEN CLOSER TO THE SINGLE DIGITS IN OUR FURTHEST NORTHERN  
EXTENT (NEAR VALLEY COUNTY).  
 
THE CONTINUATION OF NORTHWEST FLOW THURSDAY WILL ALLOW THE COLD AIR  
ADVECTION PATTERN TO RETAIN. THESE LOW-LEVEL WINDS WILL HELP SERVE  
HIGHS IN THE LOW 40S (NORTHEAST AREAS) TO LOW 50S (SOUTHWEST AREAS).  
A SLIVER OF HIGHER PRESSURE WILL NUDGE IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT  
CONTRIBUTING TO CALMER WINDS AND GENERALLY QUIET WEATHER. THE  
PATTERN ALOFT WILL SUPPORT MID-LEVEL SINKING AIR FROM THE ONSET OF A  
RIDGE, KEEPING SKIES CLEAR AND DRY.  
 
THE NORTHWEST FLOW AT THE SURFACE WILL FINALLY REACH ITS END FRIDAY  
WHEN SURFACE PRESSURE FALLS NEAR THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROCKIES, WILL  
BEGIN TO OVERPOWER THE NORTHEAST U.S. BOUND LOW, THE SYSTEM THAT HAS  
BEEN CONTROLLING WINDS SINCE MONDAY. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL BEGIN TO  
ESTABLISH A WEAK WARM AIR ADVECTION PATTERN. AS A RESULT, THE HIGHS  
WILL BUILD THROUGH SATURDAY BACK INTO THE LOWER TO MID 50S.  
 
SUNDAY AND BEYOND (LONG-TERM)...  
 
ZONAL UPPER LEVEL FLOW IS EXPECTED TO RIDE OUT THROUGH THE FIRST HALF  
OF NEXT WEEK. THOUGH THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE (30-40%) FOR A WEAK  
SHORTWAVE TROUGH TO EMERGE OUT OF THE ZONAL FLOW, POTENTIALLY  
ADDING SOME COMPLEXION TO THE FORECAST, A GENERAL DISAGREEMENT FROM  
THE LONGER RANGE FORECAST MODELS REVOLVES AROUND ITS LOCATION AND  
MAGNITUDE. THIS UNCERTAINTY KEEPS THE PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL LOW.  
THE ELEMENT THAT HAS BECOME MORE CLEAR IS WITH THE EXPECTED DROP IN  
TEMPERATURES STARTING MONDAY THAT COULD LIMIT HIGHS TO THE MID 30S  
TO LOWER 40S.  
 
THIS EXPECTED DROP IN TEMPERATURE WILL LIKELY BE CAUSED FROM A NORTH  
ORIENTING WIND FIELD ON THE BACKSIDE OF A WEAK PASSING CYCLONE  
SUNDAY. THE NEXT BEST CHANCE (10-20%) FOR PRECIPITATION AND  
POTENTIALLY THE FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON COULD COME ON  
WEDNESDAY. WITH THIS EVENT BEING 7 DAYS OUT AND WITH LOW CONFIDENCE  
OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE SYNOPTIC LEVEL DRIVING FORCES, THE POPS  
REMAIN LOW. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT A STRONGER SIGNAL 7-10 DAYS  
OUT IN LONG RANGE MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGEST THAT SIGNS OF SNOW COULD BE  
GETTING CLOSER TO FINALLY BECOMING A REALITY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1126 AM CST WED NOV 20 2024  
 
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:  
 
STRONG WINDS REMAIN THE LEADING CONCERN TODAY OUT OF THE  
NORTHWEST. GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40 KT WILL BE POSSIBLE, MAINLY OVER  
THE NEXT 3-4 HOURS (THROUGH 22Z). A NOTABLE DROP OFF (DOWN TO  
15-20 KT GUSTS) WILL BE OBSERVED CLOSER TO SUNSET (AFTER 0Z).  
THE CALMING LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL FOR  
LLWS TO DEVELOP SOMETIME BETWEEN THE 0-6Z TIMEFRAME THROUGH THE  
9-12Z TIMEFRAME. KGRI WILL LIKELY DEVELOP LLWS FASTER THAN KEAR  
AND WILL LIKELY DROP OFF SOONER IN THE NIGHT BEFORE SUNSET.  
CLEAR SKIES AND FULL 10SM OF VISIBILITY IS EXPECTED TO RETAIN  
OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  
 
 
   
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NE...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NEZ039>041-  
046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.  
KS...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...STUMP  
AVIATION...STUMP  
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