673
FXUS63 KGID 181723
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1223 PM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- TODAY THOUGH SATURDAY WILL TREND SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER. RECORD
TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY...ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
- WINDS INCREASE AS A SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY INTO
SUNDAY...WHICH WILL LEAD TO HEIGHTENED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS.
- THERE IS A LOW (10-20%) CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION SUNDAY NIGHT,
BUT OTHERWISE MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE FAVORED TO CONTINUE
THROUGH THE END OF MARCH.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 244 AM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
TEMPERATURES HAVE TRENDED A FEW DEGREES WARMER FOR TODAY THANKS
TO FAVORABLE WEST-NORTHWESTERLY (DOWNSLOPE) WINDS. THE ENTIRE
AREA IS EXPECTED AT LEAST REACH THE 70S, AND SOUTHWESTERN ZONES
COULD TOUCH THE LOW 80S. THE WARMTH AND DRYNESS (HUMIDITY
15-20%), COMBINED WITH GUSTS 20-25 MPH WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER
ROUND OF NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR AREAS WEST OF
HIGHWAY 281 THIS AFTERNOON.
THURSDAY HAS ALSO TRENDED A TOUCH WARMER, BUT LIGHTER NORTHWEST
WINDS WILL RESULT IN A LOWER FIRE WEATHER THREAT.
THE UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER CONTINUES ON FRIDAY WITH
WIDESPREAD TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S. COMPARE THAT TO 20 YEARS AGO
(MARCH 20TH, 2006) WHEN GRAND ISLAND SET THE DAILY SNOWFALL
RECORD WITH 17.8" OF SNOWFALL!
TEMPERATURES PEAK ON SATURDAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD
FRONT. SOME MODELS INDICATE THAT WE COULD CHALLENGE THE ALL-
TIME MARCH TEMPERATURE RECORD AT GRI/HSI (90 DEGREES AT BOTH
LOCATIONS). WINDS ALSO INCREASE AHEAD OF THIS FRONT. THE
COMBINATION OF WARMTH, DRYNESS, WINDS, AND A POTENTIAL WIND
SHIFT MAY LEAD TO RED FLAG CONDITIONS FOR AT LEAST PORTIONS OF
THE AREA.
THIS FRONT WILL BRING A COOLDOWN (CLOSER TO NORMAL) FOR
SUNDAY/MONDAY, ALONG WITH A LOW CHANCE FOR RAIN/SNOW. MEDIUM
RANGE ENSEMBLES THEN FAVOR ANOTHER WARMUP FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK, BUT CONFIDENCE IN MAGNITUDE/LONGEVITY IS LESS CERTAIN.
MEANINGFUL PRECIPITATION REMAINS UNLIKELY THROUGH THE END OF THE
MONTH. THE GEFS AND EPS SHOW A 40 TO 60% CHANCE THAT THE AREA
WILL SEE LESS THAN 0.10" THROUGH MARCH 31ST.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 1221 PM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH TAF PERIOD. NORTHWEST
WINDS NEAR 10KTS BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE AROUND SUNSET. LIGHT
AND VARIABLE WINDS BECOME NORTHWESTERLY THURSDAY MORNING,
REMAINING UNDER 10KTS. FEW-SCT HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS EXPECTED
THROUGH TAF PERIOD.
CLIMATE
ISSUED AT 245 AM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB INTO THE 80S LATER THIS WEEK, A FEW RECORD
WARM TEMPERATURES COULD BE IN JEOPARDY ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA.
THURSDAY MARCH 19 FORECAST HIGH RECORD MAX/YEAR
HASTINGS 80 84 (1921)
GRAND ISLAND 79 86 (1921)
FRIDAY MARCH 20 FORECAST HIGH RECORD MAX/YEAR
HASTINGS 83 82 (1939)
GRAND ISLAND 82 84 (1921)
SATURDAY MARCH 21 FORECAST HIGH RECORD MAX/YEAR
HASTINGS 88 87 (1910)
GRAND ISLAND 87 83 (1988)
IN ADDITION, RECORD WARM MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
FRIDAY MARCH 20 FORECAST LOW RECORD WARM MIN/YEAR
HASTINGS 46 46 (2011)
GRAND ISLAND 47 50 (1921)
SATURDAY MARCH 21 FORECAST LOW RECORD WARM MIN/YEAR
HASTINGS 49 47 (2012)
GRAND ISLAND 49 54 (1911)
TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR HASTINGS DATE BACK TO 1907 AND THEY
DATE BACK TO 1895 FOR GRAND ISLAND.
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.
DISCUSSION...MANGELS
AVIATION...DAVIS
CLIMATE...NWS HASTINGS
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