229  
FXUS63 KGID 261922  
AFDGID  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE  
222 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- ONLY A FEW SPRINKLES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT.  
 
- STRONG NORTH WINDS VERY SLOWLY DECREASE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY/ ANOTHER  
RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF  
HIGHWAY 281 ON FRIDAY.  
 
- WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE DANGER IS LIKELY ON SATURDAY. A FIRE  
WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT.  
 
- UNSEASONABLE WARMTH RETURNS FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
- PRECIPITATION CHANCES RETURN TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY, ALTHOUGH  
THESE ARE NOT NECESSARILY WIDESPREAD OR HEAVY  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 157 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026  
 
GUSTY NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE REST OF TODAY,  
ONLY SLOWLY DECREASING TONIGHT. GUSTS NEAR 45 MPH REMAIN  
POSSIBLE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SPRINKLES ARE POSSIBLE  
TONIGHT, BUT NO MEASURABLE PRECIP IS EXPECTED AND MOST AREAS  
WILL MISS OUT COMPLETELY.  
 
ON FRIDAY, NORTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE...GENERALLY  
FROM WEST TO EAST. THE POST-FRONTAL AIRMASS WILL RESULT IN HIGH  
TEMPERATURES ONLY IN THE 50S.  
 
THIS COOLDOWN WILL NOT LAST FOR LONG, THOUGH. STRONG SOUTH WINDS  
RETURN TO THE SOUTH FOR SATURDAY, WHICH WILL PUSH TEMPERATURES  
BACK INTO THE 60S TO NEAR 70 DEGREES (WARMEST WEST).  
 
WINDS BACK OFF A BIT ON SUNDAY-MONDAY, BUT TEMPERATURES ARE  
ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED TO REACH THE 80S UNDERNEATH A LARGE-SCALE  
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. A SHORTWAVE THEN APPROACHES FROM THE WEST,  
BRINGING THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN TO THE AREA TUESDAY INTO  
WEDNESDAY. THAT SAID, COVERAGE OF RAIN REMAINS FAIRLY SPOTTY ON  
GLOBAL MODELS.  
 
ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVES WILL BRING CONTINUED PRECIP CHANCES FOR  
THE MIDDLE TO END OF NEXT WEEK. WE REMAIN CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC  
THAT THIS PATTERN CHANGE COULD RESULT IN SOME BENEFICIAL  
MOISTURE FOR THE AREA, BUT LATEST LONG-TERM ENSEMBLES ARE  
TRENDING A BIT DRIER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS FOR THE FIRST COUPLE  
WEEKS OF APRIL.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1207 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026  
 
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD, WITH SCATTERED  
MID TO HIGH CLOUDS. STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS TURN MORE NORTHERLY  
WITH TIME. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY,  
BUT GUSTS OVER 30KTS REMAIN POSSIBLE INTO TONIGHT.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 220 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026  
 
THIS AFTERNOON:  
THE FASTER FRONTAL TIMING HAS KEPT HUMIDITY ON THE HIGHER SIDE,  
WITH MANY LOCATIONS ONLY BRIEFLY SEEING HUMIDITY DIP BELOW 30  
PERCENT. REGARDLESS, WE HAVE SEEN A FEW HOTSPOTS ON GOES  
SATELLITE, FUELED BY THE STRONG NORTH- NORTHEAST WIND. THE RED  
FLAG WARNING FOR OUR SOUTHERN ZONES IS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE AT  
8PM.  
 
FRIDAY:  
ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL NOT BE NEARLY AS HIGH AS THURSDAY, GUSTS UP  
TO 30 MPH REMAIN POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY EAST OF HIGHWAY  
281. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ON THE COOLER SIDE, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY  
LOWER DEWPOINTS WILL RESULT IN MINIMUM HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE  
10-20% RANGE. AS SUCH, A RED FLAG WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR AREAS  
ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 281.  
 
SATURDAY:  
THERE CONTINUES TO BE HIGH CONFIDENCE IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER  
CONDITIONS FOR SATURDAY. SOUTH WINDS MAY GUST UP TO 45 MPH, AND  
HUMIDITY WILL ONCE AGAIN DIP INTO THE 10-20% RANGE ACROSS THE  
AREA. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA.  
 
SUNDAY-MONDAY:  
UNSEASONABLE WARMTH RETURNS (HIGHS NEAR 80), BUT LOW LEVEL  
MOISTURE WILL ALSO INCREASE SLIGHTLY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WINDS  
WILL DECREASE COMPARED TO SATURDAY. ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL  
CONDITIONS REMAIN POSSIBLE, BUT WIDESPREAD CRITICAL CONDITIONS  
ARE LESS LIKELY.  
 
TUESDAY:  
WEST WINDS INCREASE AGAIN OF AN APPROACHING SYSTEM, POTENTIALLY  
LEADING TO A MORE WIDESPREAD FIRE WEATHER THREAT AGAIN.  
 
 
   
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NE...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ084>087.  
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY  
EVENING FOR NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.  
RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT FRIDAY FOR NEZ040-041-  
047>049-062>064-075>077-085>087.  
KS...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ005>007-  
017>019.  
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY  
EVENING FOR KSZ005>007-017>019.  
RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT FRIDAY FOR KSZ006-007-  
018-019.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...MANGELS  
AVIATION...MANGELS  
FIRE WEATHER...MANGELS  
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