Red Flag Warning Issued for Nebraska Panhandle; 75 MPH Gusts Expected Thursday
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Nebraska Panhandle effective Thursday due to extreme wind gusts and low humidity.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Nebraska Panhandle
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Cheyenne
Fire-weather notices describe conditions that can support rapid fire spread; they do not report that a fire is present. Check local emergency sources for any active incident.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Nebraska Panhandle.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Cheyenne has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of the Nebraska Panhandle. This alert indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures.
Affected Areas
The warning covers fire weather zones 434 through 437. Specific geographic regions include:
- Pine Ridge and the Nebraska National Forest
- Box Butte, South Sioux, and the Niobrara River area
- Lower North Platte River Basin and Scottsbluff National Monument
- Lodgepole Creek and the Southern Nebraska Panhandle
Forecasters note that the highest threat is currently located along the Interstate 80 corridor.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised that outdoor burning is not recommended. Any fires that develop under these conditions will likely spread rapidly and exhibit extreme behavior. Residents should prepare for hazardous conditions and monitor local updates.
Expected Conditions
- Wind: West winds between 30 and 50 mph are expected, with powerful gusts reaching up to 75 mph.
- Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop to between 17 and 22 percent.
- Impacts: The combination of high winds and low moisture creates an environment where fire can spread uncontrollably.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is officially in effect from 11:00 AM MDT on Thursday, March 12, until 9:00 PM MDT Thursday evening.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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