126  
FXUS63 KGID 112017  
AFDGID  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE  
317 PM CDT WED MAR 11 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS LIKELY ON  
THURSDAY WITH A RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 12PM TO 9PM.  
 
- STRONG/GUSTY WINDS ON SUNDAY, WITH GUSTS OVER 50 MPH POSSIBLE  
ALONG WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE  
EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN ONE INCH WITH AREAS NORTH OF I-80  
BEING THE MOST FAVORED TO RECEIVE ANY ACCUMULATION.  
 
- A ROLLER COASTER OF TEMPERATURES EXPECTED THE NEXT 7 DAYS,  
WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE 30S TO THE 70S  
DEPENDING ON THE DAY. CONSISTENTLY WARMER THAN NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO RETURN BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 200 PM CDT WED MAR 11 2026  
 
THE QUICK DUSTING+ OF SNOW THAT ACCUMULATED ON GRASSY AND  
ELEVATED SURFACES THIS MORNING CAN BE SEEN RAPIDLY ERODING ON  
SATELLITE IMAGERY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH LITTLE COVERAGE  
REMAINING AS OF 2 PM. SOME FAIR WEATHER CU CAN ALSO BE SEEN  
DEVELOPING ON SATELLITE, BUT ALL INDICATIONS FROM MODEL DATA  
AND SOUNDINGS ARE THAT THIS WILL NOT BE DEEP ENOUGH TO SUPPORT  
ANY SHOWERS/SPRINKLES THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT BROUGHT SOME LIGHT (AND IN SOME  
CASES MODEST) SNOWFALL TO THE AREA THIS MORNING CONTINUES TO  
PUSH SOUTHEAST OF THE LOCAL AREA, EXPECT SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW  
TO BEGIN TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. AS THE  
PRESSURE GRADIENT THEN TIGHTEN ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS HIGH  
AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT THURSDAY AFTERNOON, EXPECT WINDS TO  
REALLY CRANK UP, WITH A WINDY AND DRY DAY EXPECTED ACROSS THE  
REGION. WITH WIND GUSTS 40+ MPH AND RH VALUES BELOW 20 PERCENT,  
WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED, AND  
UPGRADED THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH TO A RED FLAG WARNING EARLIER  
THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
EXPECT YET ANOTHER COLD FRONT TO CROSS THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT,  
WITH JUST THE SMALLEST CHANCE (20%) FOR A SHOWER OVERNIGHT  
ACROSS OUR NORTHEAST, WITH COOLER, BUT LESS WINDY CONDITIONS  
EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL THEN REBOUND  
SATURDAY (MORE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS?) DROPPING MORE  
SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND ANOTHER COLD FRONT SUNDAY MORNING. THIS YO  
YO IN TEMPERATURES WILL RESULT IN HIGH TEMPERATURES TOPPING OUT  
ONLY IN THE 30S FOR MUCH OF THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON, ALONG  
WITH VERY STRONG WINDS AND A SMALL CHANCE (20-50%) FOR SOME  
LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION. ANY SNOW WITH WINDS 50+ MPH ACROSS  
THE AREA COULD RESULT IN REDUCED VISIBILITIES, ESPECIALLY FOR  
NORTHERN AREAS THAT ARE MOST LIKELY TO SEE LIGHT SNOWFALL  
ACCUMULATIONS. WHILE VISIBILITIES WILL BE A CONCERN, THE RAW  
STRENGTH OF THE WINDS COULD ALSO BE AN ISSUE WITH A SIGNIFICANT  
NUMBER OF THE EC ENSEMBLE MEMBERS SHOWING AN INCREASING  
POTENTIAL FOR 60+ MPH WIND GUSTS SUNDAY AFTERNOON - WHICH MAY  
EVENTUALLY WARRANT THE NEED FOR A HIGH WIND WARNING.  
 
AS WINDS THEN DIE OFF SUNDAY EVENING, EXPECT A VERY COLD START  
TO THE WORK WEEK, WITH LOWER TEENS CURRENTLY IN THE FORECAST TO  
START THE DAY MONDAY. TEMPERATURES THEREAFTER BEGIN TO  
MODERATE AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS  
THE AREA FROM THE WEST, AND THIS HIGH WILL LIKELY HELP  
TEMPERATURES SOAR WELL ABOVE NORMAL AGAIN BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT  
WEEK WITH A POTENTIALLY PROLONGED PERIOD OF ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES (AND DRY CONDITIONS) THEN EXPECTED TO EXTEND  
THROUGH POTENTIALLY THE END OF MARCH.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1206 PM CDT WED MAR 11 2026  
 
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:  
 
HIGH CONFIDENCE VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH  
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES THIS AFTERNOON EXPECTED TO BECOME MOSTLY  
CLOUDY WITH MID LEVEL CLOUDS NEAR 15KFT LATE TONIGHT. AS A  
RESULT, WINDS ARE THE PRIMARY CONCERN, WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 30 KTS  
THIS AFTERNOON OUT OF THE NORTH, TRANSITIONING TO SW WINDS  
OVERNIGHT AND GUSTING TO NEAR 35 KTS POSSIBLE BY LATE THURSDAY  
MORNING. IN ADDITION, COULD SEE SOME MARGINAL LLWS FOR A FEW  
HOURS EITHER SIDE OF DAYBREAK THURSDAY, AND INTRODUCED THIS FROM  
12/10-12/16Z.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 200 PM CDT WED MAR 11 2026  
 
NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE  
EARLY EVENING HOURS FOR AREAS MAINLY ALONG AND WEST/SOUTHWEST  
OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM KEARNEY, NE TO BELOIT, KS TODAY, DUE TO  
THE COMBINATION OF MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES NEAR 25  
PERCENT AND BREEZY NORTH WINDS UP TO 35 MPH.  
 
WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS  
THE ENTIRE AREA THURSDAY AS STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS, WITH GUSTS  
TO NEAR 40 MPH, ALONG WITH SURGING TEMPERATURES AND RH VALUES AS  
LOW AS 15 PERCENT, COMBINE TO PROMOTE DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER  
CONDITIONS.  
 
LIGHTER WINDS AND SLIGHTLY IMPROVED RH VALUES SHOULD LIMIT FIRE  
WEATHER CONCERNS FOR FRIDAY, WITH ADDITIONAL FIRE WEATHER  
CONCERNS RETURNING OVER THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. AT THIS POINT,  
SATURDAY LOOKS TO BE ANOTHER POTENTIALLY NEAR CRITICAL FIRE  
WEATHER DAY - ESPECIALLY FOR SOUTHWESTERN AREAS - WITH COOLER  
TEMPERATURES AND A CHANCE FOR SNOW LIKELY DAMPENING FIRE WEATHER  
CONCERNS SUNDAY AFTERNOON, DESPITE VERY STRONG WIND GUSTS TO  
50+ MPH.  
 
 
   
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NE...RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 9 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR NEZ039>041-  
046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.  
KS...RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 9 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR KSZ005>007-  
017>019.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...ROSSI  
AVIATION...ROSSI  
FIRE WEATHER...ROSSI  
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