161
FXUS63 KGID 191116
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
616 AM CDT THU MAR 19 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- UNSEASONABLE RECORD-BREAKING WARMTH CONTINUES THROUGH
SATURDAY.
- A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHT.
- DRY CONDITIONS ARE FAVORED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF
MARCH.
UPDATE
ISSUED AT 300 AM CDT THU MAR 19 2026
THE ONLY MAJOR UPDATE OVERNIGHT WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH FOR SATURDAY.
DESPITE THE EXTREME WARMTH AND DRYNESS, WINDS TODAY AND FRIDAY
SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT ENOUGH TO ESCAPE ANY SIGNIFICANT FIRE
CONCERNS. THAT CHANGES ON SATURDAY AS SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS
INCREASE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THERE IS STILL SOME
UNCERTAINTY ON EXACT EXTENT/MAGNITUDE OF THE WIND, BUT THE EPS
ENSEMBLE HAS GUSTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA NEAR OR ABOVE 25 MPH
DURING THE AFTERNOON. HUMIDITY IS NO QUESTION. TEMPERATURES IN
THE UPPER 80S AND 90S WILL PUSH HUMIDITY TO 10-15% FOR MUCH OF
THE REGION, AND SOME WESTERN AREAS COULD SEE HUMIDITY DIP INTO
THE SINGLE DIGITS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA SATURDAY
EVENING INTO SATURDAY NIGHT, POTENTIALLY COMPLICATING THE THREAT
FOR ANY FIRES THAT WOULD DEVELOP. AS SUCH, THE FIRE WEATHER
WATCH RUNS UNTIL 4AM SUNDAY MORNING.
TEMPERATURES BRIEFLY DIP TO NEAR-NORMAL FOR SUNDAY/MONDAY, BUT
ARE EXPECTED TO SOAR BACK INTO THE 80S FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK. DRY OR MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE STILL EXPECTED THROUGH
THE END OF MARCH.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 322 PM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S UNDER PATCHY
CIRRUS. NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THIS
AFTERNOON WHERE GUSTS REACH 20-25MPH, BUT CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE
NOT EXPECTED (OTHER THAN BRIEFLY WITH THE STRONGEST GUSTS). ALOFT
THE AREA SITS UNDER THE EASTERN EDGE OF AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE THAT IS
CENTERED OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WITH A TROUGH OVER THE EAST
COAST. LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S UNDER PARTLY
CLOUDY SKIES.
WARMTH CONTINUES TOMORROW UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF RIDGING ALOFT.
HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID 70S TO LOW 80S, WARMEST ACROSS
SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. WINDS REMAIN LIGHT DURING THE
DAYTIME HOURS, KEEPING GUSTS AT OR BELOW 20MPH. THIS LIMITS
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS DESPITE AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
FALLING AT OR BELOW 25%. RIDGING BUILDS/MOVES OVER THE AREA ON
FRIDAY, RESULTING IN ANOTHER STEP UP IN WARMTH/ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES. HIGHS IN THE 80S ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA.
GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS COULD CHALLENGE RECORD HIGHS, SEE
CLIMATE SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS. WINDS REMAIN LIGHT, KEEPING
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS LOWER.
SATURDAY REMAINS THE WARMEST DAY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA UNDER THE
CENTER OF THE RIDGE. HIGHS SOAR INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S. GRAND
ISLAND AND HASTINGS LOOK TO CHALLENGE BOTH THE DAILY AND MONTHLY
RECORD HIGH (MONTHLY RECORD 90 DEGREES), SEE CLIMATE SECTION
FOR MORE DETAILS. BREEZY AFTERNOON WINDS, GUSTING 25+MPH BRINGS
CONCERNS FOR FIRE WEATHER. AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES OF
10-20% WOULD BRING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OF WINDS
ARE STRONG ENOUGH.
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES INTO THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT, PUSHING A
COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA. THIS FRONT COULD BRING SOME VERY LIGHT
PRECIPITATION, THOUGH THE BEST CHANCES LOOK TO BE NORTH/NORTHEAST OF
THE FORECAST AREA. COOLER BUT STILL SEASONABLY WARM WEATHER IS
EXPECTED ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY, WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 50S TO LOW 60S.
RIDGING BUILDS BACK OVER THE AREA TUESDAY AND HIGHS CLIMB BACK TO
THE 70S/80S.
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 613 AM CDT THU MAR 19 2026
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD. LIGHT
NORTHWEST WINDS TURN MORE WESTERLY THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN
BECOME LIGHT/VARIABLE THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT.
CLIMATE
ISSUED AT 300 AM CDT THU MAR 19 2026
POTENTIAL RECORD WARM MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES:
THURSDAY MARCH 19 FORECAST HIGH RECORD MAX/YEAR
HASTINGS 83 84 (1921)
GRAND ISLAND 82 86 (1921)
FRIDAY MARCH 20 FORECAST HIGH RECORD MAX/YEAR
HASTINGS 84 82 (1939)
GRAND ISLAND 84 84 (1921)
SATURDAY MARCH 21 FORECAST HIGH RECORD MAX/YEAR
HASTINGS 91 87 (1910)
GRAND ISLAND 91 83 (1988)
WEDNESDAY MARCH 25 FORECAST HIGH RECORD MAX/YEAR
HASTINGS 84 85 (1956)
GRAND ISLAND 85 88 (1910)
***NOTE: THE ALL-TIME MARCH MAX TEMPERATURE IS 90 DEGREES
AT BOTH GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS***
POTENTIAL RECORD WARM MINIMUM TEMPERATURES:
FRIDAY MARCH 20 FORECAST LOW RECORD WARM MIN/YEAR
HASTINGS 46 46 (2011)
GRAND ISLAND 46 50 (1921)
SATURDAY MARCH 21 FORECAST LOW RECORD WARM MIN/YEAR
HASTINGS 47 47 (2012)
GRAND ISLAND 47 54 (1911)
TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR HASTINGS DATE BACK TO 1907 AND THEY
DATE BACK TO 1895 FOR GRAND ISLAND.
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY
NIGHT FOR NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.
KS...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY
NIGHT FOR KSZ005>007-017>019.
UPDATE...MANGELS
DISCUSSION...DAVIS
AVIATION...MANGELS
CLIMATE...NWS HASTINGS
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