555
FXUS63 KGID 182156
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
356 PM CST THU DEC 18 2025
KEY MESSAGES
- HIGH WINDS THIS AFTERNOON WILL DIMINISH QUICKLY THIS EVENING
ENDING THE PRIMARY IMPACTS AROUND SUNSET.
- BREEZY WINDS FROM THE SOUTH FRIDAY ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO
MODERATE BACK INTO THE 50S FOR MOST.
- LONG-TERM TREND, UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BRING WELL ABOVE
NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEK, INCLUDING CHRISTMAS
DAY.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 356 PM CST THU DEC 18 2025
STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS HAVE BEEN PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY
TODAY AS THE SECONDARY FRONT CAME THROUGH DURING THE MORNING
HOURS. FREQUENT NORTHERLY WIND GUSTS EXCEEDING 58 MPH (WITH SOME
EXCEEDING 70 MPH) HAVE BEEN PRESENT ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THESE WINDS WILL
BEGIN TO DIMINISH OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS AS THE UPPER SYSTEM
MOVES OFF AND THE SUN SETS MINIMIZING BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING.
THE CHANGE WILL BE FAIRLY RAPID WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
OVERHEAD DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS
AT MOST LOCATIONS BY MIDNIGHT. THE RAPID DECLINE IN WINDS MAY
ALLOW THE HIGH WIND WARNING TO BE EXPIRED/CANCELLED SLIGHTLY
EARLY, BUT AT A MINIMUM THE 6PM LOOKS TO BE FINE AS AN
EXPIRATION TIME.
THE STRONG WINDS COUPLED WITH LOW RH VALUES WILL KEEP
FIRE DANGER ELEVATED, AND A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 6PM AS WELL, AS THE WINDS DECREASE AND RH VALUES INCREASE
BY 6PM, THE RFW WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO BE EXPIRED/CANCELLED EARLY.
OVERALL UPPER LEVEL FLOW WILL TRANSITION FROM ZONAL/SLIGHT
NORTHWESTERLY FLOW TO UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BY MID NEXT WEEK. NO
MAJOR WEATHER SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA
DURING THIS TIME. TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN ON A BIG OF A ROLLER
COASTER BEFORE MOVING HIGHER AS WE APPROACH CHRISTMAS DAY.
FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY MORNING, ANOTHER FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH,
DROPPING TEMPS UNDER MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES, BUT NO PRECIPITATION
IS EXPECTED.
AS WE MOVE INTO THE HOLIDAY WEEK, TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL
ABOVE NORMAL. FOR REFERENCE, HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S ARE
CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMS FOR MID/LATE DECEMBER. TEMPS WILL BE IN
THE 50S TO 60S NEXT WEEK. ON CHRISTMAS DAY ALONE, THE HIGH LOOKS
TO BE IN THE LOW 60S. THE RECORD HIGH FOR CHRISTMAS DAY AT
GRAND ISLAND, NE (KGRI) IS 62 DEGREES. THE FULL SUITE OF 100
MODELS AT 7 DAYS OUT INDICATES THAT THERE IS A 31% CHANCE THAT
THE TEMPERATURE WILL EXCEED 60 DEGREES, AND A 62% CHANCE THE
TEMP WILL EXCEED 55 DEGREES AT GRAND ISLAND. NO HOLIDAY TRAVEL
IMPACTS ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 1146 AM CST THU DEC 18 2025
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
THE PRIMARY AVIATION CONCERN THIS AFTERNOON IS THE VERY STRONG
NORTHERLY WINDS. WINDS CONTINUE TO GUST TO 45 TO 50 KTS AND AT
TIMES EXCEEDING 50KTS AS OF THIS 18Z ISSUANCE. THESE STRONG
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT KGRI/KEAR THROUGH THE NEXT FEW
HOURS, BEFORE BEGINNING TO DECREASE AROUND 21Z, AND MORE
DRASTICALLY DROP AS THE MAIN SYSTEM PUSHES EAST, THE SUN SETS
AND DAYTIME MIXING DIMINISHES. THIS WILL DROP WINDS FAIRLY
QUICKLY NEAR AND PRIOR TO THE 00Z AND CONTINUE TO DROP AND
BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE THROUGHOUT THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. BY 12Z
FRIDAY MORNING, BOTH TERMINALS WILL HAVE SOUTHERLY WINDS AND THE
POTENTIAL FOR LOW LEVEL WIND SHEER.
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NEZ039>041-
046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.
KS...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR KSZ005>007-
017>019.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR KSZ005>007-
017>019.
DISCUSSION...BILLINGS WRIGHT
AVIATION...BILLINGS WRIGHT
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