textproduct: Hastings

KEY MESSAGES

- Mostly dry conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures are expected through next weekend.

- There is only a low chance (10-20%) for sprinkles/light rain Wed night - Thu AM.

- The greatest weather impact in the upcoming week could be strong NW wind gusts on Thursday - perhaps in excess of 50 MPH, especially along/north of Highway 6.

UPDATE

Issued at 415 AM CST Mon Dec 15 2025

Forecast continues to look about as quiet as possible in terms of precipitation for the next week, at least. The only real chance for moisture, which is only about 10-30%, comes with a potent northern U.S. disturbance Wednesday night into Thursday morning. And it looks like these low-end chances will come in the form of rain - so not all that impactful for December.

The greatest weather impact of this forecast period could be strong NWrly wind gusts behind the Wednesday night cold front. Latest model blends and EPS output suggests >50 MPH gusts are on the table, esp. for N half of the forecast area, with 60-65 MPH gusts not out of the question from around Grand Island to Ord. For example, the latest EPS mean wind gust for Grand Island on Thursday is 50-55 MPH. This is a pretty strong signal considering it's a 50 member ensemble and its day 4. NBM output is also impressive with 75th percentile values >50 MPH for all but our far S, and 60-65 MPH in our "postage stamp" counties N/NW of GI.

The cooler temperatures on Thursday will probably keep RHs in check mostly above 25%...but any trend warmer could certainly change this and be more concerning. Fire weather may also be elevated on Wednesday given it looks to be unseasonably warm (mid 50s to lower 60s, at least) and breezy...but once again, RHs could be the limiting factor in the 25-35% range.

Quick peak into next weekend and into Christmas continues show above normal temperatures and very little, if any, chances for appreciable moisture. Looking like late December is going to feel more like mid to late November. Mild and brown.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1247 PM CST Sun Dec 14 2025

Cloud cover near and west of Hwy 183 has been very stubborn and actually is expanding a bit eastward over the past couple hours. As such, forecast temperatures for this afternoon were trended downward. Additionally, based on automated observations and area cameras, some flurries were added to western parts of the area through the rest of the afternoon.

Monday is still on-track to be much warmer than today, and this will also be accompanied by lighter northwesterly winds. For comparison, wind chills are in the single digits as of noon today, but are forecast to be in the 40s for much of the area by midday Monday.

Tuesday trends even warmer as ridging moves over the central Plains. Highs ranging from the mid 50s to low 60s, combined with fairly light winds, will likely result in the nicest day of the week.

Wednesday remains warm, but an approaching shortwave/cold front will result in breezier south winds. With the wind and warmer- than-normal temperatures, we will have to keep an eye on the fire weather threat for Wednesday (and also on Thursday). But currently, humidity is expected to remain above 20% for most of the area. There is a low chance (10-20%) for precipitation (light rain) as the aforementioned system moves through Wednesday evening into Wednesday night.

Behind a cold front, Thursday will be cooler...but not overly cold. The current forecast calls for highs in the upper 30s and 40s, which is still a few degrees above climatological normals for mid December.

Beyond that, models show another warmup late next week into the weekend. And longer-range ensembles continue to favor above- normal temperatures through next week as well. Over the next 10 days (Dec 16-25th), the EPS ensemble mean is 10 to 15 degrees above normal...a pretty strong signal when taking a 10-day average. Additionally, the LREF (GEPS/GEFS/EPS) shows just a 10% chance of seeing a TOTAL of 0.10" QPF through the next 10 days. In short, if you really want to see a white Christmas, you'll probably have to travel out of Nebraska/Kansas.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 545 AM CST Mon Dec 15 2025

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

VFR conditions expected through the period with little to no cloud cover. Winds will veer from SSW to NW today, but remain fairly light. Light and variable winds expected overnight. Confidence: High.

GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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