Red Flag Warning for Wednesday, Oct. 16, (NWS Hastings, Courtesy)
TRI-CITIES — A Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions has been issued for central Nebraska during the afternoon and evening hours of Wednesday, Oct. 16.
According to the National Weather Service – Hastings, the Red Flag Warning will go into effect from 1 p.m. this afternoon to 7 p.m. A Fire Weather Watch will also be in effect on Thursday, Oct. 17.
A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.
The warning has been issued because the winds today will be out of the south 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Thursday winds will also be out of the south 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.
Relative humidity will be as low as 15 percent today and 20-25 percent on Thursday. Potential fuels for a fire are also dry after a lack of rainfall over the past month and a half.
As a result, the combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.
NWS Hastings notes that the worst combination of conditions looks to be focused over the western two-thirds of their warning area. However, the entire area is very dry and continued harvest activities also call for heightened awareness.
