textproduct: Goodland

KEY MESSAGES

- Cooler temperatures but drier and breezy with elevated to locally critical fire weather concerns.

- Warming back up Thursday through Saturday. - Fire Weather Watch for the entire area Thursday. Elevated to critical conditions possible Friday and Saturday.

- Windy and colder Sunday with a chance for rain and snow.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 1250 PM MDT Wed Mar 11 2026

Northwest flow will prevail through about Friday before it becomes more zonal on Saturday. No precipitation is expected through most of the period. A weak frontal passage Thursday night will trim a few degrees off temperatures on Friday, otherwise expecting much above normal temperatures with highs well into the 70s each day. A strong cold front will arrive late Saturday night with a chance for light snow and gusty winds.

Hazards through Saturday will be confined to fire weather. Thursday continues to be the day where the entire area will likely see critical conditions with relative humidity in the low to mid teens and gusty west winds. Strongest winds will be along the Highway 34 corridor from northeast Colorado into southwest Nebraska where gusts up to 50 mph will be possible. Wind gusts decrease southward, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph along the Interstate 70 corridor and gusts of 20 to 30 mph south of Interstate 70. On Friday, risk for critical conditions will likely be confined to northeast Colorado where humidity will fall into the teens and westerly winds will gust 30 to 40 mph. Relative humidity increases and wind decreases further east into Kansas and Nebraska, but there may be some risk for critical conditions in the counties bordering Colorado. On Saturday, Colorado will see gusty southwest winds of 40 to 50 mph and low humidity, with those conditions spreading east into Kansas and Nebraska a column or two, generally west of Highway 25, where could see gusts of 30 to 40 mph and humidity of 15-20%.

Saturday night, a strong cold front is forecast to move through the area. Frontal timing has some uncertainties at this time range, and an earlier or later passage could occur. For now, model means show an evening frontal passage with winds shifting to the northwest and increasing through the night. Higher end percentiles continue to show gusts of 40-60 mph behind the front. Higher end gusts could produce some blowing dust. Models show an open wave at 500 mb and just a quick shot of flurries or less than a half inch of snow.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/

Issued at 1250 PM MDT Wed Mar 11 2026

Colder air continues to filter into the area on Sunday with blustery conditions. Model means suggest that northerly winds gusting 40-60 mph could persist into the afternoon. Flurries could linger as well, but with the upper trough axis quickly moving east not expecting significant snowfall with this system. NBM has highs in the 40s, but would not be surprised if it was colder than that with lower percentiles showing highs in the 30s. winds finally diminish Sunday night with lows in the teens, perhaps some single digits if winds can go calm for any length of time.

Monday and Tuesday will see a return to northwest flow with an upper ridge building over the western CONUS. No precipitation is expected. Temperatures will be near normal on Monday in the wake of the earlier system, but as the ridge starts to build eastward on Tuesday temperatures should be back into the 70s with perhaps fire weather concerns in northeast Colorado and adjacent areas in Kansas and Nebraska.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1122 AM MDT Wed Mar 11 2026

VFR expected to prevail at both KGLD and KMCK through the TAF period. Gusty northwest surface winds will continue through sunset, then becoming light and variable this evening. Surface winds will increase from the southwest through Thursday morning.

GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

KS...Red Flag Warning from 11 AM MDT /noon CDT/ to 7 PM MDT /8 PM CDT/ Thursday for KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042. CO...Red Flag Warning from 11 AM to 7 PM MDT Thursday for COZ252>254. NE...Red Flag Warning from 11 AM MDT /noon CDT/ to 7 PM MDT /8 PM CDT/ Thursday for NEZ079>081.