textproduct: Hastings

KEY MESSAGES

- Scattered, off and on thunderstorms will impact the area through tonight. A few stronger storms with small hail and wind gusts to near 50 MPH will be possible primarily across our Kansas counties. - Relatively cool afternoon temperatures are expected for this afternoon (upper 60/70s) with above normal temperatures and more humid and breezy conditions returning this weekend.

- An overall-drier regime arrives Friday and continues through the upcoming weekend, with the next chance (20-30%) for thunderstorms returning Monday night.

UPDATE

Issued at 311 AM CDT Thu Jun 25 2026

The stronger storms that impacted western and southern portions of the forecast area early in the night have since weakened, with scattered showers and isolated non-severe thunderstorms continuing in spots early this morning. With additional showers and storms, along with significant cloud cover, anticipated to persist through the daytime hours, another afternoon of below normal temperatures is anticipated across the local area. This will be the last "cool" day of the forecast period, with above normal temperatures returning by the weekend as upper level ridging and breezy southerly flow establishes itself across the plains.

Regarding precipitation chances, while showers and storms will be around the local area all day, overall, CAMS have backed off on coverage and some areas may receive little to no additional activity at all. Additionally, given diminishing instability values, severe weather appears unlikely, but kept a mention of some stronger storms possible across our Kansas counties as parts of this area remain in a marginal risk for severe weather from the SPC. Storms should diminish across the local area overnight tonight as shortwave ridging brings warmer temperatures and higher confidence dry weather to the local area Friday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 342 PM CDT Wed Jun 24 2026

The Central Plains sits under weakly tilted northwesterly flow, that will become more zonal over time. This will cause the remainder of the work week to be active with scattered showers and thunderstorms persisting off and on throughout. Activity will begin to ramp up this evening, peaking during the day Thursday and tapering off overnight Thursday into Friday morning. The instability is better off to the west, which will keep the strongest storms away from the area.

As of this AFD issuance, there is a persistent thunderstorm moving southeast across the sandhills of Nebraska. High- resolution internal Ensemble WoFS shows this thunderstorm tracking south and east towards Grand Island and further southeast. This thunderstorm is really riding the instability gradient southeast and generally has about 500-1000 J/Kg to work with, meanwhile shear is plentiful.

Shower and thunderstorm coverage will increase into the overnight hours, which is supported by a variety of model solutions and it will persist in an off and on nature. Due to the coverage of showers and thunderstorms tomorrow, expect temperatures to be cool - highs in the 60s to low 70s...which is about 20 degrees below normal for the end of June.

Thunderstorm activity is expected to exit the area during the day Friday.

Moving into the weekend, a trough begins to dig in to the Pacific Northwest and the upper level pattern for the Central Plains switches to southwesterly as ridging builds into the Ohio valley by early next week. This pattern change will cause winds to become southerly and breezy at times, and for moisture transport to increase. Temperatures will warm back into the summer like temperatures with highs in the 90s expected for the weekend and early next week.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 646 AM CDT Thu Jun 25 2026

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

Lots of mid level stratus persisting across the terminals this morning with MVFR stratus upstream of the terminals expected to fill in across the local area this afternoon. Given the possibility of SHRA/TSRA development during the afternoon hours, included a VCSH mention at both terminals aft 25/18Z with a prob30 group introduced to cover the potential for an isolated TSRA or two. CIGS are forecast to be MVFR or lower this evening, with the potential for some light BR overnight, but did not completely buy into BR potential given low probs, so only have marginal MVFR CIGS through the end of the period to cover the stratus. Overall, winds will be mainly light through the period, although a few gusts to near 16 KTS will be possible this afternoon.

GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...None. KS...None.