854
FXUS63 KGID 240452
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1152 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- FIRE WEATHER REMAINS THE PRIMARY CONCERN THROUGH THE NEXT
WEEK. SEE THE FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW.
- RECORD WARMTH IS EXPECTED AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY.
- THURSDAY WILL BE WINDY WITH A LOW CHANCE FOR LIGHT RAIN/SNOW.
LITTLE TO NO IMPACT IS EXPECTED, AND MANY AREAS WILL REMAIN
COMPLETELY DRY.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 143 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2026
SOUTHEAST WINDS PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, GRADUALLY
DIMINISHING THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH
BREAKS IN CLOUD COVER TO ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO ONCE AGAIN FALL
TO NEAR FREEZING BY TUESDAY MORNING.
WINDS BECOME MORE SOUTHERLY ON TUESDAY AS UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING
BUILDS OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. THIS WILL ALLOW SOLIDLY ABOVE-
NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO RETURN TO THE AREA. WIDESPREAD HIGHS IN
THE 70S ARE EXPECTED...WHICH IS 10-20 DEGREES ABOVE
CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS.
WEDNESDAY TRENDS EVEN WARMER AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVES
OVERHEAD AND WE SEE WEST-NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS. BASED ON
THE NBM, THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE (90%) THAT WE WILL REACH/EXCEED
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES AT BOTH GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS. THE
CURRENT RECORDS ARE 88 AND 85 DEGREES, RESPECTIVELY.
A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING, USHERING IN
STRONGER NORTH WINDS. GUSTS 35 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY IN MOST
AREAS, AND THERE IS A CHANCE (20%) THAT SOME AREAS SEE GUSTS IN
EXCESS OF 50 MPH. THE TIMING OF THE FRONT WILL ALSO RESULT IN A
WIDE RANGE (AND UNCERTAINTY) OF HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE
AREA. A SHORTWAVE MAY BRING SOME LIGHT RAIN/SNOW TO PORTIONS OF
THE AREA, MAINLY DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. THAT SAID,
THE PROBABLY FOR ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION IS LESS THAN 5%...AND
MANY AREAS WILL REMAIN COMPLETELY DRY.
FRIDAY WILL REMAIN ON THE COOLER SIDE, BUT ABOVE-NORMAL
TEMPERATURES ARE FAVORED TO RETURN OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK. DETAILS REMAIN VERY UNCERTAIN, BUT THERE ARE
EARLY INDICATIONS THAT WE COULD TRANSITION TO A MORE ACTIVE
(WETTER) PATTERN TO START THE MONTH OF APRIL.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 1109 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2026
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
A FEW CLOUDS BREAKING IN AND OUT OF THE AREA SHOULD
TONIGHT/TUESDAY WILL NOT IMPACT ANY CEILING CATEGORIES TODAY AS
VFR CONDITIONS ARE VERY LIKELY TO RETAIN ACROSS THE 6Z TAF
PERIOD (80+% CONFIDENCE). CEILING ARE NOT EXPECTED TO FALL MUCH
BELOW 10,000FT (MAINLY UP NEAR 20,000FT). LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS
TONIGHT BETWEEN 5-10KTS WILL ONLY PICK UP TO BETWEEN 10-15KTS
DURING THE DAY WITH AFTERNOON WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 20-25KTS
POSSIBLE. WIND DIRECTIONS SHOULD PREDOMINATELY STAY OUT OF THE
SOUTH, AND OCCASIONALLY BECOMING SOUTHEASTERLY AT TIMES. NO
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 143 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2026
TODAY:
EXPECT TO SEE WARMER TEMPERATURES TODAY WITH MINIMUM HUMIDITY
VALUES IN THE 15-20% RANGE ACROSS OUR WESTERN AREAS. SOUTH
WINDS HAVE TRENDED UPWARDS SLIGHTLY, BUT ARE STILL EXPECTED TO
DECREASE IN WESTERN ZONES IN THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. NEAR-
CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE STILL EXPECTED, BUT THERE SHOULD BE
LIMITED OVERLAP OF ANY CRITICAL CONDITIONS.
WEDNESDAY:
LIKE SATURDAY, WEDNESDAY WILL BE VERY WARM AND DRY, BUT WINDS
CURRENTLY LOOK TO BE MORE MARGINAL THAN ON WEDNESDAY (SUSTAINED
10-20 MPH). IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DEEP MIXING COULD TREND THE
GUSTS HIGHER, BUT THIS IS MORE LIKELY IN AREAS FURTHER TO THE
WEST.
THURSDAY:
AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THURSDAY WILL FEATURE STRONG NORTH TO NORTH-
NORTHEASTERLY WINDS. THESE WINDS WILL LEAD TO A HEIGHTENED FIRE
WEATHER CONCERN, BUT FALLING TEMPERATURES MAY PREVENT HUMIDITY
FROM DIPPING TO CRITICAL LEVELS.
FRIDAY:
BREEZY NORTH WINDS CONTINUE, AND DESPITE THE COOLER AIRMASS,
HUMIDITY IS LIKELY TO DIP LOW ENOUGH TO FUEL AT LEAST A NEAR-
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER THREAT FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA.
SATURDAY/SUNDAY:
WARMER TEMPERATURES RETURN, ALONG WITH BREEZY SOUTH WINDS. NEAR
CRITICAL TO CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY FOR PORTIONS OF THE
AREA...ESPECIALLY ON SATURDAY.
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.
DISCUSSION...MANGELS
AVIATION...STUMP
FIRE WEATHER...MANGELS
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