WWUS83 KLBF 191911

RFWLBF



URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service North Platte NE

211 PM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026



NEZ204-201000-

/O.CON.KLBF.FW.W.0014.000000T0000Z-260320T0100Z/

/O.CON.KLBF.FW.A.0008.260321T1600Z-260322T0900Z/

Eastern Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR-

111 PM MDT Thu Mar 19 2026



...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MDT THIS EVENING

FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR THE EASTERN PANHANDLE...



...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH

LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR RECORD HEAT, LOW HUMIDITY, GUSTY WEST

AFTERNOON WINDS, AND A SHARP FRONT WITH STRONG NORTH WINDS LATE 

FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...



* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 204 Eastern 

  Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR.



* TIMING...Red Flag Warning in effect until 7 PM MDT this evening.

  Fire Weather Watch in effect Saturday morning through late 

  Saturday night.



* WINDS...West 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph this 

  afternoon. West 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph Saturday 

  afternoon, increasing up to 45 mph out of the north late behind 

  a passing front.



* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 9 percent both today and Saturday.



* TEMPERATURES...Low to middle 80s Thursday, upper 80s to lower

  90s Saturday.



* LIGHTNING...None expected either day.



* IMPACTS...Any fire starts will have a high potential to spread 

  rapidly and will be difficult to control.



* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A sharp frontal boundary will arrive from 

  the north late in the day Saturday, producing an abrupt wind 

  shift and gusts up to 45 mph during the evening and overnight 

  hours.



PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...



A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions

are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of

strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can

contribute to extreme fire behavior.



A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions

are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible

Red Flag Warnings.



&&



$$



NEZ206-208>210-219-201000-

/O.CON.KLBF.FW.A.0008.260321T1600Z-260322T0900Z/

Sandhills/Valentine NWR/Nebraska National Forest-

Niobrara Valley/Fort Niobrara NWR/Samuel R McKelvie National

Forest-Loup Rivers Basin-Frenchman Basin-Loess Plains-

211 PM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026 /111 PM MDT Thu Mar 19 2026/



...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH

LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR RECORD HEAT, LOW HUMIDITY, GUSTY WEST

AFTERNOON WINDS, AND A SHARP FRONT WITH STRONG NORTH WINDS LATE 

FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...



* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 206 Sandhills/Valentine 

  NWR/Nebraska National Forest, Fire Weather Zone 208 Niobrara 

  Valley/Fort Niobrara NWR/Samuel R McKelvie National Forest, 

  Fire Weather Zone 209 Loup Rivers Basin, Fire Weather Zone 210 

  Frenchman Basin and Fire Weather Zone 219 Loess Plains.



* TIMING...Saturday morning through late Saturday night.



* WINDS...West 10 to 20 mph with gusts around 25 mph, increasing 

  up to 45 mph out of the north late behind a passing front.



* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 to 15 percent.



* TEMPERATURES...Upper 80s to middle 90s.



* LIGHTNING...None expected.



* IMPACTS...Any fire starts will have a high potential to spread 

  rapidly and will be difficult to control.



* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A sharp frontal boundary will arrive from 

  the north late in the day Saturday, producing an abrupt wind 

  shift and gusts up to 45 mph during the evening and overnight 

  hours.



PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...



A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions

are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible

Red Flag Warnings.



&&



$$