FXUS63 KGID 200631

AFDGID



Area Forecast Discussion

National Weather Service Hastings NE

Issued by National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE

131 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026



.KEY MESSAGES...



- Though overnight lows should remain mostly above freezing

  (beyond a few northwest portions of the area), areas of 

  patchy frost may be possible to form across mainly a few low-

  lying areas tonight. 



- Near-critical to critical fire weather conditions return each

  day through the week. The overall worst conditions lie Monday

  and Thursday. Pleases refer to the fire weather section for 

  more information. 



- Highs will remain in the upper 70s and 80s through Thursday 

  before a cold front knocks highs down for next weekend (upper 

  50s and 60s). 



- A few weak precipitation chances (10-40%) lie Wednesday 

  night, Thursday night and Saturday. Precipitation coverage 

  currently looks to be fairly limited in coverage (amounts 

  <0.25").



&&



.DISCUSSION...

Issued at 237 PM CDT Sun Apr 19 2026





Clear skies today with light winds out of the northeast have allowed 

temperatures to warm up into the mid 60s and 70s (around 10-15 

degrees warmer from Saturday). Despite the warming today, 

temperatures overnight may still near and dip just below freezing in 

a few northwest portions of the area. This should be the last night 

of freezing temperatures until at least Thursday night. A few patchy 

areas of frost may additionally be possible to form tonight given 

the light winds. The best overall potential will be for low lying 

areas and for areas more concentrated to the northwest (where the 

cooler temperatures lie).  



Aloft, a building ridge out west will gradually move in across the 

Central U.S. through the first half of the week. Subsidence (sinking 

air) underneath the ridge will lead to compressional warming. As 

result, temperatures Monday through Thursday will mainly reach the 

mid 70s to 80s each afternoon, peaking in the mid 80s to low 90s on 

Tuesday.  



As for as winds go, higher pressure slipping by to the east on 

Monday will steer southerly winds for Monday. Given the ongoing dry 

conditions, widespread near-critical with a few isolated critical 

fire weather concerns may be possible. Though the issuance of a Red 

Flag Warning was forgone this forecast cycle, if confidence of gusty 

winds in exceedance of 25MPH increases, the next shift may consider 

to issue. For more information regarding the fire weather potential 

for this week, pleases refer to the fore weather section below. 



A deepening surface low centered over Montana on Wednesday will 

race east across the Northern Plains on Thursday. This system will 

be propelled by an upper level trough that will shake things up for 

the end of the week. A period of strong winds looks likely to arise 

Wednesday through Friday afternoon. Southerly winds Wednesday are 

currently favored to gust as high as 35-40MPH with 

west/northwesterly gusts up to 25-30MPH Thursday and northerly gusts 

up to 25-35MPH Friday. Given the gusty winds, fire weather concerns 

are possible to return each day with the bet confidence (driest day) 

on Thursday. Please refer to the fire weather section for more 

information.  



As for the precipitation potential this weekend, confidence for 

scattered storms have gone down some for Wednesday and Thursday 

night (10-40% chance) with the better overall potential residing 

outside the area to the north and east. Though most places are 

forecast to remain dry through the period, a handful of places north 

of the interstate or east of HWY-281 could still be in line 

for an isolated storm or two.



A cold frontal passage on Thursday will not only shift the winds 

from the south to a northwesterly direction, but will also pull in a 

colder air mass. Highs as result will knock down to the upper50s 

and 60s for next weekend.



&&



.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/...

Issued at 130 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026



For KGRI/KEAR Airports:



VFR conditions expected through TAF period. East-southeast 

winds will persist through the overnight hours. After sunrise 

winds shift to the southeast then south by the late morning 

hours. Southerly winds sustained 10-15kts and gusting around 

20kts are expected from the afternoon hours through the end of 

the TAF period. Around 3-5z LLWS is forecast to develop as the 

LLJ strengthens. 



&&



.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

NE...None.

KS...None.



&&



$$



DISCUSSION...

AVIATION...Wekesser/Davis