Red Flag Warning Issued for South Central Nebraska and North Central Kansas Through Tuesday

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Hastings has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert, which replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch, was issued due to the combination of strong winds and low relative humidity expected in the region.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts a significant portion of South Central Nebraska and North Central Kansas. Affected counties include:

• Kansas: Phillips, Smith, Jewell, Rooks, Osborne, and Mitchell.
• Nebraska: Valley, Greeley, Nance, Sherman, Howard, Merrick, Polk, Dawson, Buffalo, Hall, Hamilton, York, Gosper, Phelps, Kearney, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Furnas, Harlan, Franklin, Webster, Nuckolls, and Thayer.

What You Should Do

Residents are advised that outdoor burning is not recommended during this period. A Red Flag Warning signifies that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. The combination of strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures can lead to extreme fire behavior. Any fire that develops under these conditions will spread quickly. Residents should prepare for potential hazards and monitor local updates.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: South-southwest winds are forecast to begin around midday Tuesday, shifting to a more westerly direction through the afternoon. Sustained wind speeds of 20 to 30 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Humidity levels are expected to drop as low as 10 to 25 percent. The most critical conditions, with humidity between 10 and 15 percent, are anticipated in areas primarily west of Highway 281.
• Impacts: The environment will be conducive to rapid fire growth and extreme behavior.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is in effect from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM CST on Tuesday, February 17. The overall alert period issued by the agency began at 11:30 AM CST on February 16.