textproduct: Hastings

KEY MESSAGES

- A Heat Advisory will be in effect for a few of our east/southeast counties from 1PM until 10PM Sunday.

- Highs Sunday are expected to peak in the 90s with a few isolated places in the low 100s (mainly areas near and south of the state line). Heat index values will peak between 95-106 degrees.

- Highs The rest of the week will mainly keep between the upper 80s to low 100s.

- The next precipitation chances will come Monday night (25-50% chances), Tuesday night (30-60% chances) and Wednesday night (10-30% chances).

DISCUSSION

Issued at 442 PM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026

Temperatures this afternoon have made a considerable leap up to the 80s across areas that have seen some clearing within the low-level stratus. The presence of breezy southeasterly winds have also helped advect in the warmer and moist airmass today. This warming trend will be expected to bleed into Sunday as mostly clear skies take full advantage of diurnal heating in addition to the warm air advecting winds.

Pattern-wise, the area rests underneath a building upper-level ridge to the southeast (rising pressure) and an upper-level low passing off to the northwest (falling pressure). These two features almost balance one anther out, setting up the upper-level jet right across the Northern Plains region. Though a few storms are expected to develop underneath the northwest disturbance, storm trajectories (tracks) will likely remain just outside (northwest) of the area tonight.

The Main Story: The Heat Sunday into Next Week

As mentioned above, the main story for Sunday will be the heat. Temperatures will continue to climb another 10-15 degrees with highs peaking in the 90s to low 100s across the board thanks to mostly clear skies. The best potential for temperatures to surpass 100 degrees will be for locations near and south of the state line (primarily across a few north central Kansas locations). Heat index values are expected to peak between 95 to 106 degrees, generally increasing from west to east across the area. The highest heat index values will be concentrated towards the east portions of the area as that is where the higher humidity (dewpoints > 70 degrees) will be expected to lie. A Heat advisory will be in effect between 1PM and 10PM Sunday for counties south and east of a line from Smith county in Kansas up to Adams and over to Polk counties in Nebraska. Areas within the Heat Advisory will have the best chance of seeing heat index values in exceedance of 100 degrees.

The biggest and most recent change for the forecast for Sunday has been the adjustment of where and when the strongest southerly wind gusts will take place on Sunday. New guidance has revealed that the gustiest winds will be more concentrated towards the southeast during the daytime hours (15-30 MPH southerly wind gusts for areas south and east of the Tri-Cities). Most of the northwest and central portions of the forecast area will not see gusts >20MPH until the evening to overnight period. The gustiest winds of the period (30- 35+MPH) will not come until the overnight hours. These gusty winds will come as a deepening surface low across western Nebraska compresses the surface pressure gradient Sunday night.

The full forecast area will fall under at least the Moderate (level 2 out of 4) heat risk classification with areas east of a line from Nance to Franklin counties in Nebraska and all of our north central Kansas counties included with the Major (level 3 out of 4) heat risk classification. The Major heat-risk classification suggests that any individual without adequate hydration or an effective cooling source, may be susceptible to heat-related illnesses.

The Remainder of the Week...

Greater confidence now suggests that the heat will continue into much of the rest of the week. Highs each day are currently forecast to continue to range the upper 80s to low 100s every afternoon. Though decreasing moisture content Monday "should" (not guaranteed) keep heat index values below heat advisory criteria, the possibility for further heat concerns could still return near the end of the week.

As for precipitation chances, much of the week looks to be generally dry, though a few thunderstorms may be possible across at least a portion of the area Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The best confidence for precipitation will come with the Tuesday night activity (30-60% chances) with chances concentrated more across the northeastern half of the area Monday night (25-50% chances). A few of the storms on Monday night could become severe (Marginal risk of severe weather for areas north of I-80), although the best severe potential should mainly lie further north of the area. This mid-week activity will come as the aforementioned Northwest U.S. trough eventually swings across the Norther Plains.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/

Issued at 643 PM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

VFR conditions are expected throughout the forecast period. Skies will continue to clear this afternoon as the diurnal cumulus clouds lifts and dissipates with sunset.

The main impact of this TAF forecast is the low-level wind shear tonight (roughly 04-11Z), as the low-level jet intensifies after sunset. These low-level winds will veer slightly throughout the night, going from SSE to SW by 9Z. Gusty surface winds, up to 25 kts, will also veer overnight, going from SE to S by sunrise.

Surface winds will continue to veer into tomorrow morning, before returning to southerly tomorrow afternoon between 8-10kts.

GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...Heat Advisory from 1 PM to 10 PM CDT Sunday for NEZ049-063-064- 075>077-085>087. KS...Heat Advisory from 1 PM to 10 PM CDT Sunday for KSZ006-007-018- 019.