textproduct: Hastings

KEY MESSAGES

- The period of accumulating snowfall is expected to come to and end this morning to afternoon as the last of the light snow showers clear from northwest to southeast.

- With the snowfall soon expected to come to and end later today, the Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory will likely be allowed to expire ahead of their original end times (originally in effect until 6AM Sunday).

- A Cold Weather Advisory remains in effect until Noon Monday. Wind chill values each night (especially Sunday night) will fall as low as -15 to -30 degrees with minimal recovery during the day. In addition, overnight lows will also continue to fall into the negative single digits each night through Sunday night.

UPDATE

Issued at 249 AM CST Sat Jan 24 2026

Near-Term: Light snow continues to fall across a majority of the forecast area early this morning (south central Nebraska & north central Kansas). The denser and more uniform snowbands have continued to stay primarily south of the state line and closer to areas where the DGZ is taller and areas where the more saturated low- to-mid levels preside. This organization has left snow depths in south central Nebraska mainly between a trace up to 1-2" this morning (generally shy of our 1-4" forecast). Amounts across north central Kansas should generally fall between the 2-5" range with a few locally/isolated higher amounts possible by the end of the accumulation period later this afternoon.

So when will the snow come to and end?: The last of the flurries and areas of light snow showers will soon clear out this morning, first clearing across places north of Interstate-80 between 4-8AM and the remainder of south central Nebraska between 6AM-12PM. Light snow will still be possible across north central Kansas and potentially a few far southern Nebraska places through 4-8PM tonight as the tail end of the system pulls away to the east. Though a few flurries can't be completely ruled out Sunday evening (10-20% chances), the end of the snow accumulations this weekend will more than likely close out this morning/afternoon. At this point in time, we expect conditions to clear soon enough to be able to expire the Winter Weather Advisory and Winter Storm Warnings earlier than originally expected (currently in effect until 6AM Sunday).

What about the temperatures?: High surface pressure to the northeast today has helped keep winds light at the surface. In addition, the arctic airmass contained underneath of the pressure center has continued to infiltrate into the area. As result, highs today should not escape the single digits with lows tonight projected to range the minus single digits. Though highs for Sunday will warm to the teens to low twenties, mainly from the poking sun, a weak surface trough will align the weak and variable wind filed back to a northerly direction during the day. Lows Sunday night as result, should be able to reach their coldest point of the weekend with temperatures as low as -5 to -12 degrees. Wind chill values will continue to spread across the -15 to -25 degrees range each night through Sunday night, prompting the need to continue to Cold Weather Advisory through 11AM Monday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 200 PM CST Fri Jan 23 2026

The worst travel conditions will be late this evening/overnight through Saturday afternoon.

Will hit the main points regarding the ongoing winter weather event/headlines up front:

- Overall trend is for somewhat lower snow totals, especially across south central Nebraska since the daytime snowfall has struggled to materialize. This is likely due to the overall weak lift struggling to overcome dry low level air - as evident by surface dew points in the double digits below zero. A 1048mb high pressure was recently analyzed near Sioux Falls, and this is quite strong, even by late Jan. standards. This high pressure is being pretty effective at funneling a continuous stream of drier air in from the N/NE. This will be overcome somewhat tonight as stronger, deeper ascent overspreads the region - but rates will still remain light.

- Snow amounts will likely range from around 1", or less, along and N of I-80, to 1-4" between Hwy 6 and Hwy 136, to 4-6" in Rooks, Osborne, and Mitchell Counties in north central Kansas. Even these southern counties may experience a decent N-S gradient. Accumulations should be fairly efficient, once they get going, owing to deep snow growth zone and light winds to limit fracturing and compaction. Very high snow to liquid ratios of around 20:1 (possibly higher) should be common.

- No changes have been made to the ongoing headlines with this forecast package. With that said, I do expect we'll need an adjustment to end the Winter Weather Advisory and the Winter Storm Warning considerably earlier than the current 6AM Sunday expiration time. Yes, we could see some very light snow linger into Saturday night, but appears the brunt of accumulations, even in these far S zones, will wrap up Saturday afternoon and/or evening.

- No changes to the existing Cold Weather Advisory, either. It's a headline that is somewhat marginal to keep in place during the daytime hours, but rather than run the same headline off and on over the next 3 days - felt it's simpler from a messaging standpoint to continue it through Monday AM, as is. The weak winds tonight into Saturday also add to the "marginality" of it, but this is by far the worst stretch of cold air we've seen thus far in an otherwise unseasonably warm winter. We are likely past the worst of the wind chills of this event (which occurred this morning), but Sunday night into Monday morning will see the coldest air temperatures amidst clearing skies over fresh snowcover. Thus, even light bouts of wind will be brutal and it's a new school/work week.

Haven't spent a whole lot of time looking at the extended given the active short term...but overall, it appears rather dry and quiet. Temperatures don't look to be quite as warm as they once did a few days ago - likely owing to new and VERY WIDESPREAD (look at the national watch/warning map...this is a HUGE system with far reaching impacts in area AND magnitude) snow cover. However, we should at least get back closer to freezing/normal Tuesday into Wednesday.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 520 AM CST Sat Jan 24 2026

For KGRI/KEAR Airports:

MVFR ceilings and visibilities will be possible temporarily between 12 and 14-16z this morning as light snow sweeps across the area. The light snow showers should clear out between 13z-17z this morning, clearing at KEAR before KGRI. After 18z, VFR conditions become very likely through the remainder of the 12z TAF period. Ceiling as low as 3-6kft will be possible through the first half of the day before bases rise to between 10-15kft for the remainder of the day and a majority of the night.

Winds today will remain light (speeds and gusts less than 15kts). Directions start out of the south and will turn southwesterly through the day and night.

GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...Cold Weather Advisory until noon CST Monday for NEZ039>041- 046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST Sunday for NEZ082>087. KS...Cold Weather Advisory until noon CST Monday for KSZ005>007- 017>019. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST Sunday for KSZ005>007. Winter Storm Warning until 6 AM CST Sunday for KSZ017>019.