651  
FXUS63 KGID 220614  
AFDGID  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE  
114 AM CDT SUN MAR 22 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTH THROUGH THE  
AREA THE REST OF TONIGHT, EXPECTED TO CLEAR THE FORECAST AREA  
BY SUNRISE. THIS FRONT WILL BRING AN ABRUPT SHIFT TO NORTHERLY  
WINDS, WHICH WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GUST OVER 45 MPH WITH  
THE INITIAL PASSAGE. RED FLAG WARNING CURRENTLY GOES THROUGH  
4AM, WITH THE COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO BRING COOLER  
TEMPS/RAISING RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES, THOUGH WINDS WILL BE  
STRONGER.  
 
- NOTABLY COOLER TEMPERATURES AREA EXPECTED FOR TODAY. FOLLOWING  
SATURDAY'S RECORD-BREAKING HIGHS IN THE 90S, HIGHS TODAY ARE  
CLOSER TO NORMAL IN THE MID 50S TO LOW-MID 60S.  
 
- NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS  
AFTERNOON, GUSTY NORTH WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY, WITH  
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST TO BOTTOM OUT  
IN THE 25-30 PERCENT RANGE. CRITICAL LEVELS ARE AT/BELOW 20  
PERCENT, SO DECIDED TO HOLD OFF ON ISSUING A RED FLAG  
WARNING...BUT WILL BE MONITORING TRENDS CLOSELY THIS MORNING.  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 104 AM CDT SUN MAR 22 2026  
 
CURRENTLY...  
 
CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO BE DRY ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT...MAIN  
CONCERN REMAINS WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY  
WORKING ITS WAY SOUTH TOWARD THE FORECAST AREA. LOOKING AT THE  
UPPER LEVELS, FLOW HAS TRANSITIONED TO MORE ZONAL IN NATURE  
ACROSS THE REGION, THANKS TO SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCES PASSING  
THROUGH THE PAC NW/NRN ROCKIES...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING MORE  
UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS BRINGING PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. A STRONG  
SURFACE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO WORK ITS WAY SOUTH THROUGH  
NE...AND IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA BY  
SUNRISE. AN ABRUPT SWITCH IN WINDS TO THE NORTH WILL ACCOMPANY  
THIS FRONT...AS WILL THE POTENTIAL FOR GUSTS EXCEEDING 45 MPH. A  
FEW GUSTS CLOSER TO 55 MPH ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. NO  
CHANGES MADE TO THE RED FLAG WARNING, WHICH RUNS THROUGH  
4AM...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE WITH COOLER  
AIR BEHIND THE FRONT.  
 
REST OF TODAY...  
 
OVERALL, NO NOTABLE CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE FORECAST...WITH THE  
MAIN STORIES BEING WITH THE MUCH COOLER TEMPS AND CONTINUED  
GUSTY WINDS. MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT SHOWING THE OVERALL  
STRONGEST WINDS/GUSTS WILL BE WITH THE INITIAL PASSAGE OF THE  
COLD FRONT AND LINGER THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY...WITH  
THINGS GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE  
AFTERNOON HOURS. AFTER RECORD-BREAKING HEAT ON SATURDAY WITH  
HIGHS IN THE 90S...MUCH COOLER HIGHS ARE FORECAST FOR TODAY, AND  
THEY'RE ACTUALLY JUST CLOSER TO NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.  
HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO TOP OUT IN THE MID-UPPER 50S ACROSS MOST  
OF SOUTH CENTRAL NE, WITH LOW-MID 60S NEAR/SOUTH OF THE NE/KS  
STATE LINE. THE COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST TO  
HELP KEEP RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES FROM DROPPING TO CRITICAL  
FIRE WEATHER LEVELS THIS AFTERNOON (AT/BELOW 20 PERCENT)...BUT  
WITH THE CONTINUED DRY AIR MASS AND GUSTY WINDS, NEAR- CRITICAL  
CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR ESPECIALLY THE SOUTHERN HALF OF  
THE FORECAST AREA...WHERE FORECAST RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES  
DROPPING TO 25 TO 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. WITH THE CURRENT  
FORECAST LOOKING TO BE ON THE WARMER/DRIER SIDE OF THINGS AND  
NOT RESULTING IN CRITICAL LEVELS, DECIDED TO HOLD OFF ON ISSUING  
A RED FLAG WARNING AT THIS POINT...BUT WILL BE MONITORING  
OBS/MODEL TRENDS CLOSELY THIS MORNING.  
 
TONIGHT INTO MONDAY...  
 
NOT EXPECTING ANY NOTABLE CHANGES IN THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN  
THROUGH MONDAY, WITH MODELS REMAINING IN GOOD AGREEMENT  
SHOWING CONTINUED GENERALLY ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE REGION. MODELS  
CONTINUE TO SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR A WEAK UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE  
DISTURBANCE TO MOVE OUT ONTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATE TONIGHT  
INTO THE DAY ON MONDAY...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR RAIN TO THE  
FORECAST AREA. AT THIS POINT, THE BEST CHANCES LOOK TO MAINLY BE  
ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NE...BUT MODELS STILL HAVE SOME  
DIFFERENCES WITH THE COVERAGE OF ACTIVITY, SO CHANCES REMAIN LOW  
AROUND 20-30 PERCENT. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE CHANCES ALSO DON'T  
LOOK TO BRING NOTABLE AMOUNTS.  
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE PASSING THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT BRINGS  
LIGHT AND AT TIMES VARIABLE WINDS...EVENTUALLY TURNING  
SOUTHERLY AS THE HIGH MOVES EAST AND LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS OVER  
THE HIGH PLAINS. THIS WILL BRING INCREASING SSERLY WINDS DURING  
THE DAY ON MONDAY, ESPECIALLY TO THE WESTERN HALF OF THE  
FORECAST AREA, WHERE GUSTS OF 20-30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. WITH  
HIGH TEMPERATURES AGAIN IN THE MID 50S-LOW 60S AND A CONTINUED  
DRY AIR MASS...THE POTENTIAL WILL AGAIN BE THERE FOR AT LEAST  
NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP DURING THE  
AFTERNOON HOURS...MAINLY WEST OF HWY 281. CONFIDENCE IN THE  
FORECAST TEMPS/DPTS SUFFERS SOME DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTIES WITH  
HOW THESE PRECIPITATION CHANCES EVOLVE...MORE CLOUDS/SHOWERS  
WOULD KEEP TEMPS DOWN.  
 
TUESDAY ON THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK...  
 
FORECAST DRIES BACK OUT FOR THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE WEEK  
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY...WITH MODELS SHOWING UPPER LEVEL RIDGING  
WORKING TO BUILD ITS WAY BACK NORTH. THIS BRINGS WARMING  
TEMPERATURES...WITH TUESDAY HIGHS BACK IN THE 70S AND WEDNESDAY  
HIGHS IN THE 80S. THE LATTER PORTION OF THE WORK WEEK INTO THE  
WEEKEND LOOKS TO BRING A RETURN TO MORE ZONAL FLOW AS ADDITIONAL  
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES BREAK DOWN THE RIDGING...AND BRINGING  
SOME SPOTTY LOW-END PRECIP CHANCES TO THE FORECAST. PLENTY OF  
DETAIL TO WORK OUT BETWEEN MODELS WITH THOSE CHANCES. THE  
WEAKENED RIDGING WILL BRING COOLER TEMPS TO THE AREA, WITH HIGHS  
THURSDAY IN THE 60S-70S AND FRIDAY IN THE 50S...BEFORE  
REBOUNDING BACK THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 450 PM CDT SAT MAR 21 2026  
 
-- FORECAST CHANGES/POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES/BIG PICTURE COMMENTS:  
 
- FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT, THIS 19-YEAR "VETERAN" OF NWS  
HASTINGS CONTINUES TO BE IN AWE OF TODAY'S  
HISTORIC/UNSEASONABLE VERY-EARLY-SPRING HEAT! AS ALREADY  
MENTIONED ABOVE (AND MORE DETAIL IN THE SEPARATE CLIMATE  
SECTION BELOW), IT'S ONE THING TO SHATTER HEAT RECORDS FOR THE  
CURRENT MONTH IN THE SPRING, BUT TO ALSO AT LEAST MATCH HEAT  
RECORDS FOR THE FOLLOWING MONTH IS A TRUE RARITY.  
 
- AS FOR 7-DAY FORECAST CHANGES VERSUS OUR PREVIOUS (EARLY-AM)  
FORECAST ISSUANCE, HONESTLY NOTHING NOTABLE TO SPEAK OF. DAY-  
TO-DAY HIGH/LOW TEMPS WERE ONLY NUDGED UPWARD OR DOWNWARD A  
FEW DEGREES AT MOST, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE VAST MAJORITY OF  
THE NEXT WEEK APPEARS DRY (ONLY LIMITED/SPOTTY/LIGHT PRECIP  
CHANCES BOTH MONDAY AND AGAIN LATE IN THE WEEK). PEEKING  
SLIGHTLY BEYOND THE 7-DAY, THERE IS AT LEAST LIMITED HOPE THAT  
AT LEAST A SLIGHTLY MORE ACTIVE PRECIPITATION PATTERN COULD  
"KICK IN" AROUND-AND-BEYOND MARCH 30TH, ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY  
SOME INCREASE IN LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE AND RESULTANT INCREASES IN  
RELATIVE HUMIDITY/SOME DECREASE OF THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT. WE  
CAN ONLY HOPE.  
 
-- 7-DAY FORECAST CHRONOLOGICAL DETAILS (THROUGH SUN. MARCH 28)  
- CURRENT/RECENT WEATHER SCENE AS OF 4 PM:  
ALTHOUGH TODAY'S RECORD/HISTORIC HEAT IS FASCINATING TO WITNESS  
FROM A PURELY METEOROLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE (HIGH TEMPS LIKELY TO  
END UP 95-99 MOST AREAS), THE COMBO OF THE HEAT AND UNUSUALLY  
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY (SINGLE DIGITS NEARLY ALL AREAS), ALONG  
WITH BREEZY (FORTUNATELY NOT OVERLY- WINDY) WEST- SOUTHWEST  
WINDS, HAS UNFORTUNATELY MANIFESTED IN A DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER  
SETUP. MORE FIRE WEATHER DETAILS WILL FROM THIS POINT FORWARD BE  
DISCUSSED IN THE SEPARATE FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW, BUT AS OF  
THIS WRITING OUR SATELLITE DATA HAS DETECTED A FEW SMALLER FIRE  
HOTSPOTS IN OSBORNE/HAMILTON COUNTIES, WITH BOTH  
SATELLITE/RADAR CONFIRMING A NOTICEABLE FLARE-UP WITHIN THE  
EXPANSIVE COTTONWOOD FIRE AREA ALONG THE DAWSON/LINCOLN COUNTY  
LINE.  
 
IN THE MID-UPPER LEVELS, WATER VAPOR SATELLITE AND SHORT TERM  
MODEL DATA CONFIRM OUR REGION'S CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE FROM AN  
INCREDIBLY STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE (AROUND 589 DECAMETER  
HEIGHT AT 500 MILLIBARS) SPINNING CLOCKWISE AND CENTERED OVER  
THE AZ/NM/MX BORDER AREA. UNDER ONLY A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF  
PASSING THIN/HIGH CIRRUS CLOUDS, OUR CENTRAL PLAINS REGION  
RESIDES UNDER WEST-NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALONG THE NORTHEASTERN  
PERIPHERY OF THIS RIDGE.  
 
AT THE SURFACE, IMPRESSIVE/DEEP DIURNAL MIXING UP TO AROUND 600  
MILLIBARS HAS ALLOWED WINDS TO (IF ANYTHING) TURN A LITTLE MORE  
WESTERLY (VERSUS SOUTHERLY) THAN EXPECTED, WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS  
COMMONLY 15-20+ MPH/GUSTS AT LEAST 25-30 MPH THIS AFTERNOON,  
ONLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE BIG WARM-UP AND FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS.  
 
- THIS EVENING-OVERNIGHT:  
FORTUNATELY, THE AFOREMENTIONED VERY DEEP MIXING WILL REALLY  
DECREASE BY AROUND/ESPECIALLY AFTER 7 PM, ALLOWING WINDS TO  
DECREASE AND TURN MORE SOUTHERLY (VERSUS WESTERLY) THIS EVENING.  
HOWEVER, AFTER SUNSET THERE WILL BE A MODEST/SECONDARY INCREASE  
IN SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS, AS MIXING INTO A STRONG LOW-LEVEL  
JET BRINGS BACK SOME GUSTS OF 20+ MPH.  
 
HOWEVER, THE "BIG STORY" OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS ARRIVES LATER  
(BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND SUNRISE SUNDAY), AS A STRONG COLD FRONT  
STEADILY BLASTS SOUTHWARD THROUGH OUR CWA FROM NORTH-TO-  
SOUTH...ENTERING OUR FAR NORTHERN COUNTIES 1-3 AM, AND  
EVENTUALLY CLEARING OUR FAR SOUTHERN (KS) COUNTIES 5-7 AM. IN  
ITS WAKE, ALL AREAS WILL EXPERIENCE AT LEAST A 2-3 HOUR "BLAST"  
OF FAIRLY STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS, COMMONLY SUSTAINED 25-35 MPH  
AND GUSTING AT LEAST 40-50 MPH. AT LEAST LIMITED COVERAGE OF  
BRIEF, MARGINALLY-SEVERE GUSTS OF 55-60 MPH IS CERTAINLY  
POSSIBLE, BUT CONFIDENCE IN MEETING/EXCEEDING OFFICIAL SEVERE  
CRITERIA OF 58+MPH IS CURRENTLY TOO LOW TO JUSTIFY A FORMAL HIGH  
WIND WARNING (THIS BEARS CLOSE WATCHING THOUGH). THIS WILL BE A  
DRY FRONTAL PASSAGE, AND ALSO BRING STEADILY-COOLER TEMPS.  
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPS (LIKELY NOT REACHED UNTIL 8-9 AM) ARE AIMED  
LOW 40S NORTHWEST...TO UPPER 40S-LOW 50S SOUTHEAST.  
 
- SUNDAY-SUNDAY NIGHT:  
DESPITE HIGHS BEING 30-35 DEGREES COOLER THAN TODAY, THEY WILL  
STILL BE ABOVE-NORMAL FOR LATE MARCH! IF ANYTHING, THESE HIGHS  
WERE NUDGED DOWN VERY SLIGHTLY, NOW AIMED UPPER 50S-LOW 60S IN  
NEBRASKA...TO MAINLY MID-60S IN KANSAS. WIND-WISE, THE DAY WILL  
START OUT RATHER WINDY (ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING), BUT THEN SEE  
A SLOW/GRADUAL DECREASING TREND DURING THE AFTERNOON. FOR THE  
DAY AS A WHOLE THOUGH, SUSTAINED NORTHERLY SPEEDS AT LEAST 20-30  
MPH/GUSTS 25-35 MPH WILL BE COMMON (UP TO AROUND 40 MPH IN THE  
MORNING).  
 
SUNDAY EVENING-OVERNIGHT, WINDS BECOME LIGHT AS THEY EVENTUALLY  
TREND MORE EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY IN THE PRESENCE OF SURFACE HIGH  
PRESSURE. ALTHOUGH CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AND SOME  
SPOTTY LIGHT RAIN COULD START TO ENTER OUR FAR SOUTHWESTERN CWA  
CLOSE TO SUNRISE, THIS WILL ALMOST SURELY BE THE OVERALL-  
CHILLIEST NIGHT OF THE NEXT WEEK, WITH LOWS BOTTOMING OUT 30-35  
MOST AREAS.  
 
- MONDAY-MONDAY NIGHT:  
ALTHOUGH MOST PLACES WILL BE LUCKY TO PICK UP ANYTHING MORE THAN  
A HUNDREDTH OR TWO, CHANCES FOR AT LEAST SPOTTY LIGHT RAIN  
SHOWERS HAVE INCREASED VERSUS 24 HOURS AGO AS A WEAK/MOISTURE  
STARVED SHORTWAVE ZIPS THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS (FOR NOW  
MEASURABLE CHANCES/POPS ARE ONLY 20-30% AT MOST). OTHERWISE, THE  
MAIN STORY DURING THE DAY WILL BE GRADUALLY-INCREASING SOUTH-  
SOUTHEASTERLY BREEZES...OVERALL STRONGEST IN OUR WESTERN HALF  
(WEST OF HWY 281), WHERE SUSTAINED SPEEDS 15-20 MPH/GUSTS 25-30  
MPH WILL BE MOST COMMON. HIGH TEMPS UPPER 50S-LOW 60S MOST  
AREAS. ANY SPOTTY RAIN SHOULD DEPART BY EVENING, WITH SLIGHTLY-  
MILDER LOWS IN THE MID-UPPER 30S LIKELY MONDAY NIGHT.  
 
- TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY:  
THE FORECAST TURNS DRY AGAIN AS UPPER RIDGING OVER THE  
SOUTHWESTERN U.S. AGAIN BECOMES AN INCREASING INFLUENCE, WITH  
HIGH TEMPS STEADILY TRENDING UPWARD...CURRENTLY AIMED MAINLY 70S  
TUESDAY...THEN LOW-MID 80S MOST AREAS WEDNESDAY (UPPER 80S FAR  
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST). OVERNIGHT LOWS FOLLOW SUIT...HOLDING UP WELL  
INTO THE 40S TO PERHAPS LOW 50S.  
 
- THURSDAY-SATURDAY:  
AS USUAL, UNCERTAINTY GROWS IN THE "FINER DETAILS" AT THIS TIME  
RANGE, BUT THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS INCLUDE A COOL-DOWN AS THE UPPER  
PATTERN "FLATTENS" A BIT AND OUR NEXT LARGE-SCALE SURFACE COLD  
FRONT PASSES SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS (THE LATEST  
ECMWF/GFS BOTH BRING THIS FRONT THROUGH ON THURSDAY). FOR NOW,  
WE HAVE HIGHS EASING BACK IN THE 70S THURSDAY, THEN MAINLY 50S  
FOR FRIDAY-SATURDAY. OUR OFFICIAL FORECAST INCLUDES SOME  
SPOTTY/LOW CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION AS EARLY AS LATE THURS  
NIGHT-FRI AM, THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH SHOULD FALL AS RAIN (IF  
ANY OCCURS).  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1243 AM CDT SUN MAR 22 2026  
 
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT DESPITE A FEW CLOUDS  
MOVING IN THIS MORNING AND STAYING AROUND FOR A MAJORITY OF THE  
DAY TODAY. THE MAIN CONCERN WITHIN IN THE NEAR-TERM WILL BE SOME  
LLWS TONIGHT AHEAD OF A PASSING COLD FRONT THAT WILL SHIFT WINDS  
BETWEEN 8-9Z (FROM A SOUTHWESTERLY TO NORTHERLY DIRECTION).  
THESE LOW-LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL KEEP AROUND 40-50KTS  
OF LLWS AROUND AT BOTH KGRI AND KEAR UNTIL THE FRONT ARRIVES.  
 
SURFACE WINDS PRESENTLY OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST BETWEEN 10-20KTS  
AND GUSTING AS HIGH AS 25-30KTS WILL SOON TURN NORTHERLY WITH  
THE PASSING FRONT AROUND 8-9Z. WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL PICK  
UP, BLOWING BETWEEN 20-30KTS WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 35-45KTS.  
THESE WINDS WILL REMAIN STEADY THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING TO  
EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF IN THE LATER  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 450 PM CDT SAT MAR 21 2026  
 
UNFORTUNATELY, OTHER THAN SOME VERY SMALL/FLEETING CHANCES FOR A  
FEW RAIN SHOWERS HERE OR THERE (MAINLY CENTERED AROUND MONDAY  
AND THEN AGAIN LATER IN THE WEEK), THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE  
NEXT 7 DAYS APPEAR DRY. FOLLOWING IS A DAY-BY-DAY BREAKDOWN OF  
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WITHIN OUR FORECAST AREA (CWA):  
 
- SUNDAY:  
DESPITE AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES BEING AT LEAST 30-35 DEGREES  
COOLER THAN SATURDAY, THEY WILL STILL BE ABOVE-AVERAGE FOR LATE-  
MARCH...MOST AREAS TOPPING OUT BETWEEN THE UPPER 50S-MID 60S.  
WINDS WILL ALSO REMAIN MODERATELY-STRONG ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE  
FIRST HALF OF THE DAY, BUT FORTUNATELY WILL SLOWLY DECREASE  
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS RH GRADUALLY FALLS. THE NET RESULT IS A  
SOLIDLY ELEVATED-TO-NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER SITUATION,  
FEATURING NORTHERLY WIND GUSTS COMMONLY 25-35 DURING THE  
AFTERNOON, BUT WITH RH CURRENTLY FORECAST TO DROP NO LOWER THAN  
25-30 PERCENT (SLIGHTLY ABOVE OFFICIAL CRITICAL CRITERIA).  
 
AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE DECIDED AGAINST A FORMAL WARNING GIVEN THE  
COMBINATION OF: 1) RH FALLING SLIGHTLY SHORT OF CRITERIA...2)  
WINDS SLOWLY DECREASING WITH TIME. THAT BEING SAID, SHOULD LATER  
FORECASTS RAISE WIND SPEEDS AND/OR LOWER RH, ARGUMENTS COULD  
CERTAINLY BE MADE FOR A MARGINAL WARNING ISSUANCE...ESPECIALLY  
IN OUR SOUTHERN/KANSAS COUNTIES.  
 
- MONDAY:  
AT THIS TIME, THIS LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER ELEVATED-TO-NEAR CRITICAL  
FIRE WEATHER AFTERNOON FOR MOST OF OUR CWA. TEMPERATURES WILL BE  
SIMILAR TO SUNDAY, BUT THIS TIME THE BREEZY WINDS WILL BE OUT OF  
THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST...OVERALL-STRONGEST IN THE WESTERN HALF OF  
OUR CWA WHERE GUSTS OF 25-30 MPH ARE MOST LIKELY. AT THIS TIME,  
MINIMUM AFTERNOON RH IS FORECAST TO BOTTOM OUT 22-30% IN MOST  
PLACES (SLIGHTLY ABOVE CRITICAL CRITERIA), BUT IT COULD BE A  
"CLOSE CALL" ESPECIALLY IN OUR WESTERN-MOST NEBRASKA COUNTIES  
(DAWSON/GOSPER/FURNAS), SO THIS BEARS CLOSE WATCHING.  
 
- TUESDAY:  
THIS IS ALSO A DAY THAT BEARS WATCHING, AS ALTHOUGH OUR CURRENT  
FORECAST DOES NOT CALL FOR CRITICAL CONDITIONS, THIS HAS "THE  
LOOKS" OF A DAY THAT COULD TREND WORSE AS IT GETS CLOSER IN  
TIME, THANKS TO BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS THAT WILL LIKELY GUST 20+  
MPH. AT LEAST FOR NOW, MINIMUM RH IS FORECAST TO DROP NO LOWER  
THAN 25-30% IN MOST PLACES.  
 
- WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY:  
AS IS TYPICAL THIS FAR OUT IN TIME, CONFIDENCE IS LACKING IN THE  
"FINER DETAILS" REGARDING FIRE WEATHER PARAMETERS. WEDNESDAY  
BEARS WATCHING FOR THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES (HIGHS IN THE 80S)  
AND LOWEST RH OF THE WEEK (10-20% MOST PLACES), BUT AT LEAST FOR  
NOW WINDS APPEAR RELATIVELY TAME. THURSDAY-FRIDAY THEN APPEAR TO  
TURN WINDIER OUT OF THE NORTHEAST BEHIND A COLD FRONT, BUT THERE  
ARE QUESTIONS REGARDING HOW LOW RH MIGHT GET IN A COOLER  
AIRMASS.  
 
-- NOTE:  
- NWS HASTINGS ROUTINELY DEFINES CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AS THE  
OVERLAP OF BOTH 20-PERCENT-OR-LOWER RH AND SUSTAINED WINDS/GUSTS  
OF 20+ MPH/25+ MPH (FOR 3+ HOUR DURATION).  
 
- NWS HASTINGS ROUTINELY DEFINES NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AS  
THE OVERLAP OF BOTH 25-PERCENT-OR-LOWER RH AND SUSTAINED  
WINDS/GUSTS 15+MPH/20+ MPH  
 
 
   
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NE...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 4 AM CDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR  
NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.  
KS...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 4 AM CDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR  
KSZ005>007-017>019.  
 
 
 
 
 
UPDATE...ADP  
DISCUSSION...PFANNKUCH  
AVIATION...STUMP  
FIRE WEATHER...PFANNKUCH  
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