485
FXUS63 KGID 250453
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1153 PM CDT TUE MAR 24 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS POSSIBLE EACH DAY ACROSS PORTIONS
OF THE AREA.
- RECORD WARM TEMPERATURES EXPECTED WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER
80S-LOW 90S.
- NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING 35-45MPH BEHIND A COLD FRONT ON THURSDAY.
- COOLER TEMPERATURES THURSDAY-FRIDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT, BUT
TEMPERATURES BACK ABOVE NORMAL THIS WEEKEND-EARLY NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 130 PM CDT TUE MAR 24 2026
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON ARE CURRENTLY SITTING IN THE 60S AND
70S, WARMEST ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. WINDS ARE
BREEZY AT TIMES GUSTING 20-25MPH. NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON-EARLY EVENING HOURS
WHERE THE LOWEST HUMIDITY VALUES OVERLAP WITH BREEZY WINDS (MOST
LIKELY ALONG/WEST OF HIGHWAY 183). LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE 40S
UNDER PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES.
WEDNESDAY...
ALOFT, THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE WEST MOVES INTO THE PLAINS ON
WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN ANOTHER RECORD WARM MARCH DAY ACROSS
THE AREA. HIGHS SOAR INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S, AIDED BY
WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE (WARMING) WINDS. GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS COULD
THREATEN DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES: SEE CLIMATE SECTION FOR
MORE DETAILS. AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES SINK INTO THE TEENS
ACROSS THE AREA. WINDS LOOK TO BE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE, GENERALLY
BELOW 20MPH, LIMITING FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THOUGH A WINDOW OF NEAR-
CRITICAL CONDITIONS MAY STILL DEVELOP (MAINLY ALONG/NW OF TRI-
CITIES). A FEW HIGH BASED SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA
AND MOVE INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT, BUT DRY AIR NEAR THE SURFACE
SHOULD PREVENT ANYTHING FROM REACHING THE SURFACE.
THURSDAY...
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PUSH THROUGH THE AREA
ON THURSDAY. THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE EXPECTED DURING THE DAYTIME
HOURS, WHICH WILL LIKELY RESULT IN A GREATER SPREAD IN HIGH
TEMPERATURES THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST (UPPER 60S NORTH TO LOW 80S
SOUTH). GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED WITH THIS COLD
FRONTAL PASSAGE. THE ECMWF/NAMNEST/RRFS SUPPORT WIND GUSTS OF 40-
45MPH AT TIMES BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. THIS BRINGS AT LEAST SOME
ELEVATED-NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS TO THE AREA THURSDAY
AFTERNOON DESPITE THE COOLER TEMPERATURES/HIGHER RH BEHIND THE
FRONT. A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY-THURSDAY NIGHT,
THOUGH THIS LOOKS TO BE FAIRLY SCATTERED AND ANY PRECIPITATION THAT
DOES MAKE THE GROUND WILL BE VERY LIGHT (A COUPLE OF HUNDREDTHS).
FRIDAY ONWARDS...
ZONAL TO WEAK NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT ON FRIDAY KEEPS TEMPERATURES
SEASONABLE, WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S. DECREASING WINDS DURING THE DAY
ON FRIDAY SHOULD LIMIT FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS DESPITE THE DRIER
AIRMASS DROPPING AFTERNOON RH VALUES BELOW 20%. RIDGING BUILDS
BACK OVER THE ROCKIES/PLAINS THIS WEEKEND, AS ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES RETURN TO THE AREA. HIGHS ON SATURDAY WILL BE IN
THE 60S, CLIMBING TO THE 70S/80S ON SUNDAY. ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE UPPER LEVEL
PATTERN SHIFTS TO A MORE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW.
BREEZY WINDS AND WARMER WEATHER RESULTS IN NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA EACH DAY. SATURDAY
OVERALL LOOKS TO BE THE GREATEST OVERLAP OF BREEZY/GUSTY WINDS AND
LOW RH AT THIS TIME. POP CHANCES RETURN TO THE AREA NEXT WEEK WITH
THE AFOREMENTIONED PATTERN SHIFT, THOUGH MODEL SPREAD BRINGS
UNCERTAINTY TO THE TIMING/AMOUNT OF ANY POPS.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 1147 PM CDT TUE MAR 24 2026
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WIND SHEAR IS
EXPECTED FOR BOTH KGRI AND KEAR UNTIL AROUND 12Z. SOUTHERLY
WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHWEST BY 12Z THEN WESTERLY BY 15Z. WINDS
WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST BY 18Z THEN WILL WEAKEN BY
00Z THURSDAY.
CLIMATE
ISSUED AT 130 PM CDT TUE MAR 24 2026
WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WORK THEIR WAY BACK INTO THE AREA
FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, PEAKING ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25TH.
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE THREATENED AT BOTH GRAND ISLAND
AND HASTINGS.
FOR GRAND ISLAND:
FORECAST HIGH TEMP FOR MARCH 25TH: 89
RECORD HIGH TEMP FOR MARCH 25TH: 88, SET IN 1910
FOR HASTINGS:
FORECAST HIGH TEMP FOR MARCH 25TH: 89
RECORD HIGH TEMP FOR MARCH 25TH: 85, SET IN 1956
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR NEZ039-
046-060-061-072>074-082>084.
KS...NONE.
DISCUSSION...DAVIS
AVIATION...SCHULDT
CLIMATE...NWS HASTINGS
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