571  
FXUS63 KGID 080717  
AFDGID  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE  
217 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- INCREASING NORTHWEST WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN  
NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON. THE  
PRIMARY AREA OF CONCERN IS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 WHERE WINDS  
WILL BE STRONGEST.  
 
- SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING. MOST OF THESE STORMS WILL NOT BE SEVERE, BUT THERE  
IS A LOW (5%) CHANCE FOR A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE  
STORMS IN NORTHERN KANSAS.  
 
- MORE SIGNIFICANT FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS RETURN NEXT WEEK WITH  
SEVERAL WARM, DRY, AND BREEZY DAYS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 217 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2026  
 
RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW LIGHT SPRINKLES MOVING ACROSS THE AREA,  
THESE MAY PERSIST A BIT PAST SUNRISE IN PORTIONS OF KANSAS, BUT  
MOST AREAS WILL SEE A DRY DAY. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE  
THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS 20-25 MPH (POSSIBLY HIGHER IN NORTHERN  
PARTS OF THE AREA). THIS, COMBINED WITH HUMIDITY AS LOW AS 20%  
WILL RESULT IN NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.  
 
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY EVENING AS A FRONT MOVES THROUGH. ONLY  
MODEST INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED (<1000 J/KG MUCAPE), BUT STRONG  
SHEAR COULD ALLOW A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS TO ORGANIZED AND  
BECOME MARGINALLY SEVERE. THE MAIN THREAT AREA WOULD BE IN  
PORTIONS OF NORTHERN KANSAS, AND SPC HAS INTRODUCED A MARGINAL  
RISK (5%) FOR SEVERE WIND IN AN HAIL IN THIS AREA.  
 
AFTER A "COOLER" DAY ON SUNDAY (UPPER 60S AND LOW 70S...WHICH IS  
NEAR NORMAL FOR MID MAY), A SIGNIFICANT WARMUP IS EXPECTED FOR  
NEXT WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE FAVORED TO REACH THE 80S (AT  
LEAST) EACH DAY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE  
SLIM, WITH ONLY A 10-20% CHANCE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY.  
AS ALLUDED TO IN THE KEY MESSAGES ABOVE, CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER  
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA EACH OF THESE  
DAYS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 252 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2026  
 
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IN NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL CROSS THE  
LOCAL AREA TONIGHT BRINING WITH IT THE CHANCE FOR A FEW HIGH  
BASED SHOWERS/SPRINKLES AND POSSIBLY A WEAK THUNDERSTORM TO  
PARTS OF THE LOCAL AREA. GIVEN THE LACK OF SURFACE MOISTURE,  
LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE VAST MAJORITY  
OF THE LOCAL AREA, WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM  
EXPECTED DURING THE EVENING HOURS ACROSS AREAS PRIMARILY  
SOUTHWEST OF THE NEBRASKA TRI-CITIES.  
 
CONTINUED NORTHWEST FLOW WILL THEN PERSIST INTO THE WEEKEND  
BEFORE AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE EVENTUALLY TRANSITIONS EASTWARD  
ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA BY SUNDAY. BEFORE THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE  
MOVES ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA, ONE MORE NOTABLE DISTURBANCE IS  
EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE LOCAL AREA ON SATURDAY BRINING WITH IT A  
SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING (ALTHOUGH THERE IS A LOW END CHANCE FOR A  
FEW POP UP SPRINKLES FRIDAY AFTERNOON). WHILE A FEW STRONGER  
STORMS WITH MAINLY GUSTY WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS  
DISTURBANCE/SURFACE FRONT SATURDAY, LIMITED INSTABILITY WILL  
LIKELY LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER...AND THE LOCAL  
AREA REMAINS OUTSIDE THE MARGINAL RISK FROM SPC. THAT SAID, A  
FEW MODELS SUCH AS THE NAMNEST FIRE UP A LINE OF STORMS ALONG  
THE FRONT SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHICH COULD EVENTUALLY IMPACT LOCAL  
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS BEFORE EXITING THE AREA, SO  
WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE TIMING OF THIS  
SYSTEM.  
 
THEREAFTER...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS EXPECTED BUILD ACROSS THE  
AREA LATE IN THE WEEKEND WITH A RETURN TO HIGH TEMPERATURES WELL  
ABOVE NORMAL (IN THE 80S) THROUGH AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF  
NEXT WEEK. THESE WARMER TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH A CONTINUED  
DRY AIRMASS AND BREEZY AFTERNOONS WILL EVENTUALLY LIKELY RESULT  
IN SOME NEAR-CRITICAL TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS,  
ALTHOUGH WITH FUELS STARTING TO GREEN-UP, SOME OF THIS CONCERN  
MAY BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY ALLEVIATED.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 100 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2026  
 
FOR KGRI/KEAR AIRPORTS:  
 
HIGH CONFIDENCE VFR CONDITIONS WITH ONLY A FEW SPRINKLES THROUGH  
SUNRISE.  
 
WINDS TURN TO THE NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON, WITH GUSTS NEAR  
20KT.  
 

 
   
GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NE...NONE.  
KS...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...MANGELS  
DISCUSSION...ROSSI  
AVIATION...MANGELS  
 
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