Red Flag Warning Issued for Western and North Central Nebraska Due to Critical Fire Conditions
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for western and north central Nebraska effective Sunday afternoon as near-record temperatures and low humidity create extreme fire risks.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in North Platte has issued a Red Flag Warning for western and north central Nebraska. This alert indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent. The warning replaces the previously issued Fire Weather Watch.
Affected Areas
The warning covers several fire weather zones across the region, including:
- Eastern Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR (Zone 204)
- Sandhills/Valentine NWR/Nebraska National Forest (Zone 206)
- Niobrara Valley/Fort Niobrara NWR/Samuel R McKelvie National Forest (Zone 208)
- Frenchman Basin (Zone 210)
- Loess Plains (Zone 219)
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas should prepare for hazardous fire conditions. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Any fire starts that occur during this window may rapidly grow and spread. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged.
Expected Conditions
Weather conditions are expected to reach critical thresholds on Sunday afternoon:
- Temperatures: Near-record highs reaching up to 69 degrees.
- Relative Humidity: Dropping as low as 13 percent.
- Winds: Southwest winds between 10 to 20 mph, with gusts reaching up to 30 mph.
- Lightning: No lightning is expected during this event.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective from 12:00 PM CST (11:00 AM MST) until 6:00 PM CST (5:00 PM MST) on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
Source: NOAA Official Notice