textproduct: Hastings

KEY MESSAGES

- Northerly winds gusting 30-40mph expected today behind a cold frontal passage. Highs today in the upper 40s to low 60s.

- Clearing skies and decreasing winds Friday night-Saturday morning brings a potential for frost/freezing conditions to the area. A Freeze Watch remains in effect for most of the area 1am-9am Saturday.

- Near-critical to critical fire weather conditions possible Saturday- Tuesday due to the combination of breezy winds and low humidity. The days of highest concern look to be Saturday and Monday.

- Dry and above normal temperatures expected Sunday-early next week. The next chance for rain looks to arrive during the middle to end of next week.

UPDATE

Issued at 259 AM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

Temperatures this morning are in the 50s and 60s ahead of an approaching cold front currently located along a line from Ainsworth to North Platte. This cold front will push through the area through the early- mid morning hours, exiting southeastern portions of the area around 10-11pm. Northerly winds gusting 40-45mph are possible right behind the frontal passage. Winds remain gusty throughout the day, with gusts of 30-40mph. Little warming is expected during the daytime hours behind the cold front with temperatures in the upper 40s (northwest) to low 60s (southeast) this afternoon. There remains a low chance (15-20%) for a light rain/snow mix to impact mainly western portions of the area this evening, but minimal accumulation is expected.

Winds gradually decrease after sunset, with gusts falling below 20mph after midnight. Skies clear after midnight allowing temperatures to quickly drop towards and below freezing. Areas most favored to see freezing temperatures will be across central and northwestern portions of the area. Winds could remain just high enough to prevent true freeze, especially across southeastern portions of the area. A Freeze Watch remains in effect Friday night- Saturday morning (1am-9am) where sub-freezing temperatures are the most favored.

A seasonable-seaonably cool day is expected on Saturday with highs in the 50s to low 60s. Breezy northwest winds gusting 25-30mph are expected during the day. A drier airmass will be in place, with afternoon relative humidity values falling into the teens to low 20s. This will result in widespread near-critical to critical fire weather conditions across the area. Otherwise the forecast remains on track with temperatures climbing back above normal Sunday (60s/70s) and warming into the 80s early next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 315 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026

Widespread critical/Red Flag fire weather conditions are playing out as expected this afternoon. Temperatures have indeed met expectations for highs in the mid to upper 80s, and with another hour or two of heating still to go, could see some spots overachieve into the lower 90s. Dew points remain VERY dry in the upper teens to lower 30s, so RHs are also extremely low in the lower to middle teens. The low levels remain well-mixed through the evening hours thanks to continued Srly flow amidst a tightening sfc pressure gradient. Thus, RH recovery will be very slow. Made no changes to the already later-than-usual end time of the Red Flag Warning that's set to expire at midnight.

A strong cold front remains on track to sweep NW to SE across the area between midnight and dawn tonight. Behind the front, forecast soundings continue to support a surge in gusts up to around 40-45 MPH with the initial passage. Winds could diminish slightly as the daytime hours progress on Friday, but it will still be quite breezy to even windy much of the day. Temperatures will be fighting strong cold air advection and some cloud cover and experience little to no diurnal rise. Thus, it'll feel quite chilly and blustery and generally not very enjoyable...esp. compared to today.

Cool temperatures continue into the weekend and will present some risk for sub-freezing temperatures, for some, along with perhaps some patchy frost. More specifically on the frost potential...it may not be too much of an issue since winds will probably remain too elevated for it Fri night-Sat AM, and the air may simply be too dry for it Sat night-Sun AM. Nonetheless, appears a good chunk of the area will drop into the upper 20s to lower 30s by dawn Sat AM, with favored cold spots in Dawson and Valley/Greeley Counties possibly even into the mid 20s. Winds may remain high enough to prevent true potential. Winds will be lighter Sun AM with more of an influence from the ridge axis, so would expect similar readings to the previous night, or maybe even slightly cooler. A Freeze Watch remains in effect for Friday night - Saturday AM, and fully expect another headline will be needed for the next night. Otherwise...Saturday will be similar to Friday in that it will be chilly and blustery...but Sunday afternoon looks to be much nicer as temps rebound into the 70s amidst good sunshine and much lighter winds.

Temperatures will warm even more for the start of the new work week, and may be borderline "hot" (kinda like today) by Tue-Wed. Models suggest the next cold front and decent chance for organized precipitation not coming until about 7 days from now.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 623 AM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

VFR conditions favored through TAF period. There remains a low chance for a brief window of MVFR ceilings during the mid morning hours, though confidence remains low (under 15%) in this occurring. Regardless by the mid-late morning, Low VFR conditions are expected, with ceilings gradually rising during the late afternoon- evening hours. Mid-level clouds clear overnight, with mostly clear skies early Saturday morning.

Northerly winds sustained 20-25kts gusting 30-35kts are expected to continue throughout the daytime hours. After sunset, winds will gradually decrease, with gusts falling below 20kts around midnight. Winds become light and westerly early Saturday morning.

GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...Freeze Watch from late tonight through Saturday morning for NEZ039>041-046>049-060>063-072>076-082>085. KS...Freeze Watch from late tonight through Saturday morning for KSZ005-006-017.