247
FXUS63 KOAX 190404
AFDOAX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1104 PM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WELL-ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY.
HIGHS TODAY REACH THE LOW 70S AND 80S.
- TEMPERATURES WARM TO THE 80S FOR MUCH OF THE AREA FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY, AND A FEW RECORDS COULD BE BROKEN.
- AREAS OF VERY HIGH TO POTENTIALLY EXTREME FIRE DANGER ARE
FORECAST FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, DRIVEN
MAINLY BY DRY CONDITIONS.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 1101 PM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
A WEAK DISTURBANCE RIPPLED THROUGH THE REGION WEDNESDAY EVENING,
BRINGING A FEW SPRINKLES TO PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA. OTHERWISE,
CLOUD COVER KEPT TEMPERATURES FROM COOLING OFF TOO QUICKLY LAST
NIGHT, WITH MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA STILL IN THE 60S AT 10 PM.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION
THURSDAY, USHERING WARM DRY AIR ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. HIGHS
WILL RISE BACK INTO THE 70S THURSDAY AFTERNOON, WITH LIGHT WINDS.
TEMPERATURES WILL APPROACH DAILY RECORDS SET IN THE EARLY 1900S, AS
AFTERNOON HIGHS REACH INTO THE UPPER 70S AND LOW 80S FRIDAY, AND THE
UPPER 80S AND LOW 90S SATURDAY. FOR REFERENCE, NORFOLK AND LINCOLN
HAVE ONLY REACHED 90 DEGREES FIVE TIMES DURING THE MONTH MARCH SINCE
THE THEIR PERIOD OF RECORDS BEGAN IN 1813 AND 1887, RESPECTIVELY.
OMAHA HAS ONLY REACHED 90 TWICE IN MARCH SINCE 1871. IN ADDITION TO
THE EXTREMELY WARM TEMPERATURES, THE DRY CONDITIONS WILL PULL
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES DOWN TO 20-30 PERCENT. WHILE NORTHWESTERLY WINDS
WILL BE FAIRLY LIGHT FRIDAY, ONLY GUSTING TO 12-20 MPH, SPEEDS WILL
INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTH SATURDAY, GUSTING TO 20-30 MPH. ALTHOUGH
THESE SPEEDS ARE NOT NEARLY AS STRONG AS WE'VE HAD RECENTLY, WHEN
COMBINED WITH THE DRY CONDITIONS AND WARM TEMPERATURES, FIRE DANGER
CONCERNS WILL INCREASE TO VERY HIGH, IF NOT EXTREME, OVER MOST OF
THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
SUNDAY AND BEYOND...
A SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL RIPPLE THROUGH THE REGION
SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY, PULLING RELATIVELY COOLER TEMPERATURES
INTO THE MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY, AS WELL AS SOME GUSTY NORTH WINDS.
HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO TOP OUT IN THE 50S AND LOW 60S SUNDAY WITH
MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AROUND 30 TO 40 PERCENT. WHILE THIS
COMBINATION MAY HELP IMPROVE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS TO SOME EXTENT,
NORTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH SPEEDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH,
KEEPING PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA IN THE VERY HIGH CATEGORY.
PRECIPITATION CHANCES CONTINUE TO REMAIN OFF TO OUR NORTH THROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK. WHILE TEMPERATURES MAY TAKE A BRIEF DIP BEHIND
SUNDAY'S COLD FRONT, WE SHOULD REMAIN AT OR ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 605 PM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. NORTHERLY WINDS
MAY BECOME VARIABLE FOR COUPLE HOURS THIS EVENING BEFORE
RETURNING TO THE NORTHWEST THURSDAY MORNING. WIND SPEEDS WILL
REMAIN LIGHT, LIKELY UNDER 12 KTS, THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.
OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NE...NONE.
IA...NONE.
DISCUSSION...KG
AVIATION...KG
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