textproduct: Hastings

KEY MESSAGES

- Hot and humid today with highs in the 90s to around 100 degrees with heat index values in the mid 90s to mid 100s. A Heat Advisory is in effect 1-10pm today for eastern portions of the area.

- Hot and Humid conditions are expected to continue Monday through the end of the week. Highs and heat index values will generally be in the 90s to around 100 degrees.

- Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible across portions of the area mainly during the evening-overnight hours Monday- Thursday.

UPDATE

Issued at 227 AM CDT Sun Jun 28 2026

Skies are mostly clear across the area this morning with temperatures in the 70s. A cluster of thunderstorms is expected to remain north of the area as it tracks along the NE-SD border early this morning. Aloft the area is under southwesterly flow as troughing deepens over the western U.S. and ridging sits over the Midwest. Under this southwesterly flow the first in a series of hot and humid days are expected for the area. Temperatures this afternoon soar into the 90s, topping out around 100 degrees across southern portions of the area. Dewpoints in the low 60s (west) to around 70 degrees (east) combined with hot temperatures will result in heat index values climbing into the 90s and 100s. A Heat Advisory is in effect from 1pm-10pm today for areas that are expected to experience the greatest overlap of hot temperatures and high dewpoints (heat index values around 105 degrees). Southerly winds gusting 20-30mph are possible today for areas in the Heat Advisory, with lighter winds (5-15 mph) for areas north/west of the advisory. Sunshine will be plentiful today with mostly sunny- sunny skies.

Little to no relief from the heat is expected overnight with lows for most areas only falling to the mid-upper 70s. Another hot and humid day is in store for the area on Monday. Highs on Monday climb into the 90s to around 100 degrees. Most areas look to fall short of heat advisory criteria once again (heat index values in the 90s to around 100). Far eastern portions of the area could be close to needing an advisory, with that likely dependent on the dewpoints in those areas/the degree of mixing. Will leave that decision to a future shift to determine where exactly the edge of the highest heat index values ends up. Regardless of a headline, it will be hot and overall unpleasant across the entire forecast area.

Focus then turns to the potential for thunderstorms Monday evening/night as shortwave traverses through the southwesterly flow aloft. A surface front will stretch southwest to northeast across central portions of the area Monday evening. While warm air aloft/capping is likely to inhibit thunderstorm development, it is possible that an isolated storm could develop along the front, most likely north of I-80. Additionally, as the Low Level Jet strengthens Monday evening/night it could also aid the development of thunderstorms, though again capping makes the degree of thunderstorm development uncertain. If storms do develop, the warm and humid airmass would be supportive of them becoming strong/severe. The primary concern with any strong/severe storm would be damaging wind gusts. Areas outlined in the SPC day 2 marginal risk (I-80 and north) have the overall highest chances to see a storm Monday evening/night. Otherwise the forecast remains on track with hot and humid conditions expected to continue through the end of the forecast period. Highs and heat index values will generally be in the 90s to around 100 degrees each day.

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 /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/

Issued at 1224 PM CDT Sun Jun 28 2026

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

VFR conditions are forecast to retain across the next at least 24 hours with no precipitation expected. The main aviation concern will be from gusty overnight winds and the presence of LLWS between 3-14z. The LLWS generally starting from the south around 2-4z will gradually increase through around 7z (up to 45-50kts up to 2,000ft).

Winds this afternoon will retain a southerly direction with speeds keeping below 15kts and mainly gusting less than 20kts. Winds speeds between mainly 3-10z will gradually speed up. The gustiest winds of the night will generally occur between 6-15z with speeds peaking near 20-25kts and gusts peaking as high as 30-35kts.

GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...Heat Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for NEZ049-063-064- 075>077-085>087. KS...Heat Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for KSZ006-007-018- 019.