381
FXUS63 KGID 271743
AFDGID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1243 PM CDT FRI MAR 27 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NOON-8PM TODAY FOR
AREAS NEAR/EAST OF HIGHWAY 281. NORTH WINDS GUST TO NEAR 30
MPH AT TIMES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
- WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS RETURN SATURDAY.
STRONG SOUTH WINDS GUSTING UP TO 45 MPH WILL BE COMBINED WITH
VERY LOW HUMIDITY. A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
ENTIRE AREA.
- TEMPERATURES REBOUND BACK INTO UPPER 70S AND 80S SUNDAY
THROUGH TUESDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN DROP HIGHS BACK TO THE
50S TO MID 60S WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
- DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY. THE
NEXT NOTABLE PRECIPITATION CHANCES (40-50%) RETURN WEDNESDAY.
UPDATE
ISSUED AT 826 AM CDT FRI MAR 27 2026
TEMPERATURES BEHIND THE FRONT TODAY WILL TAKE A NOTABLE DIP WITH
HIGHS EXPECTED TO TOP OFF IN THE 50S TO LOW 60S THIS AFTERNOON.
NORTHERLY WINDS THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL BLOW
BETWEEN 15-20MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 25-35MPH. THESE WINDS WILL
SLOWLY TAPER OFF ACROSS THE LATER AFTERNOON HOURS AS RISING PRESSURE
GRADUALLY WEAKENS THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT. DRIER CONDITIONS
BEHIND THE FRONT WITH THE GUSTY AFTERNOON WINDS WILL PROMOTE
WIDESPREAD NEAR-CRITICAL TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS
THE AREA. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
WILL BE FOR AREAS NEAR AND EAST OF HWY-281 (WHERE THE GUSTIEST WINDS
SHOULD LIE). A RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM NOON UNTIL
9PM FOR COUNTIES ALONG AND EAST OF HWY-281. PLEASE REFER TO THE
FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.
WIND DIRECTIONS WILL GRADUALLY FLIP TO THE SOUTH ACROSS THE FRIDAY
EVENING/NIGHT PERIOD AS AN AROUND 1036MB SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
CENTER SHIFTS EASTWARD AND ACROSS THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN PLAINS. AN
UPSTREAM NORTHERN PLAINS LOW-LEVEL TROUGH/DISTURBANCE WILL ONCE AGAIN
STIR UP EVEN GUSTIER CONDITIONS FOR SATURDAY. THE SOUTHERLY WINDS
WILL BLOW BETWEEN 25-35MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40-50MPH ACROSS
MUCH OF THE DAY SATURDAY. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
THE ENTIRE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW
FOR MORE INFORMATION.
BEYOND THE GUSTY WINDS TODAY AND SATURDAY, TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO
REBOUND THIS WEEKEND AS SOUTHERLY WARM AIR ADVECTING WINDS RETURN
COMBINED WITH THE DIURNAL WARMING FROM MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES.
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE THE 60S TO LOW 70S SATURDAY AND
THE UPPER 70S AND 80S SUNDAY. NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS
THE WEEKEND AS A SEMI-ZONAL TO WEAK RIDGING PATTERN ALOFT SHOULD
CONTINUE TO BAT AWAY ANY REAL PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL.
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 SATURDAY/
ISSUED AT 1240 PM CDT FRI MAR 27 2026
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. NORTH
WINDS GRADUALLY DECREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING,
THEN STRONGER SOUTH WINDS RETURN SATURDAY MORNING. GUSTS OVER
30KTS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THE DAYTIME SATURDAY.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 822 AM CDT FRI MAR 27 2026
AN INCREASINGLY DRY AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT INTO THE AREA
TODAY. DESPITE TEMPERATURES ONLY IN THE 50S, THE ENTIRE AREA WILL SEE
HUMIDITY BELOW 15 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON. NORTH WINDS WILL GRADUALLY
DECREASE FROM WEST TO EAST, BUT AREAS NEAR AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 281
ARE EXPECTED TO SEE PERIODS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM.
STRONG SOUTH WINDS RETURN TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THE CONTINUED
MIXING WILL LIMIT HUMIDITY RECOVERY, WITH MANY AREAS LIKELY TO SEE
HUMIDITY REMAIN BELOW 40% THROUGH SUNRISE SATURDAY.
SUSTAINED WINDS 20-30 WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE
DAY SATURDAY. HUMIDITY WILL REMAIN VERY LOW...WITH MOST AREAS
DROPPING DOWN TO THE 10-15% RANGE. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH IN WIDESPREAD
CRITICAL FIRE DANGER, AND A RED FLAG WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT.
THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT DECREASES A BIT WITH LIGHTER WINDS
SUNDAY/MONDAY...BUT UNSEASONABLE WARMTH WILL STILL PROMOTE ELEVATED
TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS.
A FRONTAL PASSAGE ON TUESDAY MAY RESULT IN ANOTHER ROUND OF CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR AT LEAST PARTS OF THE AREA.
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 9 AM TO 10 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR
NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ040-041-
047>049-062>064-075>077-085>087.
KS...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 9 AM TO 10 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR
KSZ005>007-017>019.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ006-007-
018-019.
UPDATE...MANGELS/STUMP
DISCUSSION...MANGELS
AVIATION...MANGELS
FIRE WEATHER...MANGELS
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