textproduct: Hastings

KEY MESSAGES

- A Red Flag Warning has been issued for critical fire weather today along and west of a line from Alma to Kearney to Ord. See the Fire Weather section below.

- Some flurries/sprinkles are possible in northeast parts of the area today, but no accumulation is expected.

- Warm and dry conditions persist through the rest of the workweek. Temperatures trend closer to normal early next week.

UPDATE

Issued at 230 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026

Precipitation chances for today have continued to trend downward, largely thanks to the dry airmass at the surface. A few flurries/sprinkles cannot be ruled out, but the vast majority will remain completely dry.

Increased cloud cover over our east, and a warm front arriving from the west will result in a wide range in temperatures today. Some spots near/east of Highway 81 may remain the 40s, while areas near/west of Highway 183 may see temperatures near 70 degrees this afternoon. Winds will start the day out of the south, gradually turning to the southwest. Near-term models still indicate a sharper shift to stronger northwesterly winds arriving from the west ~3-4pm.

There is continued high confidence in dry conditions through the rest of the week, and record-breaking temperatures looks increasingly likely...especially for Friday and Saturday.

Global ensembles favor a "cooldown" (still probably near to above normal) early next week. The potential for precipitation still looks spotty...at best.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 204 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026

A chilly March afternoon across the region today as despite mostly sunny skies, a cold airmass lingered behind yesterdays cold front. Gusty north winds have also not helped out wind chills, with wind gusts of 30 to 35 MPH being observed across the region this afternoon. Given the gusty winds and dry airmass, elevated fire weather concerns remain mainly southwest of a line from Kearney to Hebron, with current RH values in the range of 20 to 25 percent at several locations.

Expect winds to diminish fairly rapidly this evening as they shift and become more southerly overnight, in response to an approaching trough from the northwest. All signs point to this front being mostly dry for the local area, with only the smallest chances (15-25%) for a light rain/snow shower northeast of the Tri-cities Tuesday. Despite the increased clouds...temperatures will still climb significantly across the region tomorrow as a warm front crosses from the west. This will likely lead to a sharp gradient in temperatures across the area, with enough warming to justify fire weather headlines for areas primarily west of Highway 281 earlier today.

Behind this system, expect further warming through the rest of the week as high pressure builds aloft and temperatures climb into the 80s for the middle/latter portion of the week. Thankfully, with high pressure aloft, the pressure gradient near the surface appears on the weaker side, so very strong winds are not anticipated. That said, with dry fuels, low RH values and warm temperatures, would not be surprised if additional fire weather headlines will be needed later this week.

After a 3 day period of near/record warmth, expect a glancing blow from a cold front to our north to help knock down temperatures closer to climo for Sunday and Monday, along with the potential for some gusty winds (40+ mph) next Sunday. At this point, no precipitation is expected locally with this front and ensembles look fairly bleak, precipitation wise, through at least day 10.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1204 PM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

Prevailing VFR conditions anticipated through the period with clouds gradually clearing overnight and winds shifting and becoming more westerly this evening.

Expect mid level stratus near 5-8KFT to gradually improve to near 12 KFT over the next few hours as a warm front approaches from the west. This front will also bring a shift in winds to a more westerly direction during the evening hours. Will winds will diminish after sunset, and a weak LLJ will keep the potential for a few surface wind gusts to near 15 KTS through around 10Z...when then LLWS should diminish with light westerly winds less than 10 KTS can then be expected through the remainder of the period.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 532 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026

The primary fire weather threat for today will occur in areas near and west of a line from Alma to Kearney to Ord as winds shift to the west-northwest this afternoon. Ahead of this shift, southwest winds may occasionally gust 20-30 MPH, with more persistent gusts of 25-35 MPH arriving after the wind shift. Humidity will not be as low as what we've seen on previous days, and portions of this area may see humidity remain 25 percent or higher...especially if clouds can hang around.

The fire threat decreases on Wednesday, but western areas could still see elevated to near critical fire conditions as westerly gusts approach 25 MPH.

The overall fire weather threat decreases for Thursday through Friday. Despite potential record-breaking temperatures and very low humidity, sustained winds are unlikely to exceed 20 MPH on a widespread basis over central Nebraska/Kansas.

Stronger winds then potentially return for Saturday/Sunday, potentially leading to more Red-Flag conditions for portions of the area.

CLIMATE

Issued at 200 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026

As temperatures climb into the 80s later this week, a few record warm temperatures could be in jeopardy across the local area.

Thursday March 19 Forecast High Record Max/Year Hastings 79 84 (1921) Grand Island 79 86 (1921)

Friday March 20 Forecast High Record Max/Year Hastings 84 82 (1939) Grand Island 84 84 (1921)

Saturday March 21 Forecast High Record Max/Year Hastings 87 87 (1910) Grand Island 86 83 (1988)

In addition, record warm minimum temperatures will also be possible Friday and Saturday.

Friday March 20 Forecast Low Record Warm Min/Year Hastings 46 46 (2011) Grand Island 46 50 (1921)

Saturday March 21 Forecast Low Record Warm Min/Year Hastings 48 47 (2012) Grand Island 48 54 (1911)

Temperature records for Hastings date back to 1907 and they date back to 1895 for Grand Island.

GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for NEZ039-046- 060-061-072>074-082-083. KS...None.