Red Flag Warning
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service North Platte NE
203 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
INTO THURSDAY MORNING...
NEZ204-206-208>210-219-260200-
/O.CON.KLBF.FW.W.0016.260325T1600Z-260326T1600Z/
Eastern Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR-
Sandhills/Valentine NWR/Nebraska National Forest-
Niobrara Valley/Fort Niobrara NWR/Samuel R McKelvie National
Forest-Loup Rivers Basin-Frenchman Basin-Loess Plains-
203 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026 /103 AM MDT Wed Mar 25 2026/
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM CDT /10 AM MDT/
THIS MORNING TO 11 AM CDT /10 AM MDT/ THURSDAY FOR RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURES, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND GUSTY WINDS FOR ALL OF
WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...
* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 204 Eastern
Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR, 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...11 AM CDT Wednesday through 11 AM CDT Thursday.
* WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph this
afternoon. A cold front tonight brings an abrupt wind shift, as
winds become northerly at 20 to 25 mph gusting up to 45 mph
overnight.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...12 to 20 percent this afternoon.
* TEMPERATURES...Upper 80s to lower 90s.
* LIGHTNING...Isolated dry lightning is possible after sunset
Wednesday across portions of western Nebraska and the
Sandhills. While the threat is low, a few showers may be
robust enough to create sporadic lightning strikes and gusty,
erratic winds.
* IMPACTS...Any fire starts may spread rapidly and be difficult
to control.
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.
&&
$$
Hazardous Weather Outlook
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
125 PM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026
IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-261830-
Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont-Page-
Knox-Cedar-Thurston-Antelope-Pierce-Wayne-Boone-Madison-Stanton-
Cuming-Burt-Platte-Colfax-Dodge-Washington-Butler-Saunders-Douglas-
Sarpy-Seward-Lancaster-Cass-Otoe-Saline-Jefferson-Gage-Johnson-
Nemaha-Pawnee-Richardson-
125 PM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southwest Iowa, west central
Iowa, east central Nebraska, northeast Nebraska and southeast
Nebraska.
.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.
Very High Fire Danger is expected today. Warm, dry and windy
conditions will bring quick fire growth.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
Very High to Extreme Fire Danger is expected again on Thursday. Warm
and dry conditions are expected for the weekend which will again
result in areas of Very High to Extreme fire danger, especially
Saturday.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
$$
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service North Platte NE
1052 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026
NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-261600-
Sheridan-Eastern Cherry-Keya Paha-Boyd-Brown-Rock-Holt-Garden-Grant-
Hooker-Thomas-Blaine-Loup-Garfield-Wheeler-Arthur-McPherson-Logan-
Custer-Deuel-Keith-Perkins-Lincoln-Chase-Hayes-Frontier-
Western Cherry-
1052 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026 /952 AM MDT Wed Mar 25 2026/
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and north
central Nebraska.
.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.
Critical fire weather conditions are expected across all of western
and north central Nebraska today, with a Red Flag Warning in effect
through Thursday morning. Record high temperatures are expected
across most of the region today, combined with low relative
humidity, and gusty westerly winds.
A cold front overnight will keep winds gusty out of the north, with
gusts up to 45 mph expected.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are expected to
continue throughout the day on Thursday.
Fire weather concerns are expected to return Saturday through Monday
next week, as temperatures warm again this weekend. Low relative
humidity and gusty winds will be possible each day.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
$$
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Rapid City SD
406 AM MDT Wed Mar 25 2026
SDZ001-002-012>014-024>032-041>044-046-047-049-072>078-WYZ054>060-
261300-
Harding-Northern Perkins-Butte-Northern Meade Co Plains-Ziebach-
Northern Black Hills-Northern Foothills-Rapid City-
Southern Foothills-Central Black Hills-Southern Black Hills-
Custer Co Plains-Pennington Co Plains-Haakon-Western Fall River-
Northern Oglala Lakota-Northern Jackson-Bennett-Mellette-Todd-
Tripp-Sturgis/Piedmont Foothills-Southern Meade Co Plains-
Hermosa Foothills-Eastern Fall River-Southern Oglala Lakota-
Southern Jackson-Southern Perkins-Northern Campbell-
Southern Campbell-Western Crook-Wyoming Black Hills-
Weston County Plains-Newcastle-Northeastern Crook-
406 AM MDT Wed Mar 25 2026 /506 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026/
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western South
Dakota and northeastern Wyoming.
.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight
Very warm and dry conditions combined with breezy winds will
support widespread near critical to critical fire weather
conditions this afternoon.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday
Elevated fire weather conditions are possible again this weekend.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation will not be needed today.
&&
Stay tuned to NOAA weather radio for further updates...or check
our web site at weather.gov/rapidcity
$$
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
504 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-
081>086-092>097-261015-
Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-
Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Sac-Calhoun-
Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-
Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Polk-Jasper-
Poweshiek-Cass-Adair-Madison-Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Adams-Union-
Clarke-Lucas-Monroe-Wapello-Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-
Appanoose-Davis-
504 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight
Elevated fire weather concerns possible due to warm and
occasionally breezy winds over southern and eastern Iowa today.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday
Warm temperatures and breezy winds may lead to elevated fire
weather conditions again on Thursday.
A few thunderstorms are possible over far southern and southeastern
Iowa Thursday afternoon and evening. Stronger storms could produce
hail and gusty winds.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation will not be needed.
$$
Dodson
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
311 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026
IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-
098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-260815-
Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O`Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee-
Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-
Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-Gregory-
Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Brule-Aurora-Davison-Hanson-McCook-
Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton-
Union-
311 AM CDT Wed Mar 25 2026
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central
Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, central South
Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and
southeast South Dakota.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Elevated to near critical fire danger is expected today, especially
west of I-29 and in higher elevations of the Buffalo Ridge.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
Dry, warm, and breezy to windy conditions elevated to critical fire
danger through the upcoming weekend. Greatest concern for critical
conditions falls on Thursday, and Saturday through Monday.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
$$
