Routine Fire Wx Fcst (With/Without 6-10 Day Outlook)
Issued by NWS North Platte, NE
Issued by NWS North Platte, NE
612
FNUS53 KLBF 120834
FWFLBF
Fire Weather Planning Forecast for Western
and North Central Nebraska
National Weather Service North Platte NE
334 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...
.DISCUSSION...
Critical fire weather conditions are expected across portions of
north central Nebraska this afternoon, due to a combination of
well above average temperatures, gusty winds, and low humidity.
While critical conditions are expected in Zone 209 this afternoon,
at least elevated to near critical conditions will be possible
across the rest of north central Nebraska and the Sandhills given
the gusty northerly winds. Fire weather concerns continue the next
few days, as gusty winds and low humidity are expected. For
Wednesday, the highest area of concern will be for areas along and
west of Highway 83, where southerly wind gusts up to 45 mph are
possible.
As for Thursday, a plume of Gulf moisture is expected to arrive
over eastern portions of the forecast region, which should limit
fire weather concerns to the east. However, a dry line sets up
across western Nebraska, and areas behind the dry line may
experience at least elevated to near critical fire weather
concerns Thursday afternoon. For Friday, though temperatures
remain above average and low humidity is expected, lighter winds
are expected across the region. Looking ahead to the weekend, as a
low tracks across the northern Plains, expect increasing chances
of precipitation Saturday night into Sunday. Beforehand, there is
potential for a window of elevated fire weather concerns Saturday
afternoon again across western Nebraska.
NEZ204-122330-
Eastern Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR-
234 AM MDT Tue May 12 2026
.TODAY...
Sky/weather.........Sunny.
Max temperature.....73-78.
24 hr trend......15 degrees cooler.
Min humidity........19 percent.
24 hr trend......9 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......North 10 to 15 mph.
Smoke dispersal.....Very good.
Mixing height.......500-4400 ft AGL until 1200, then 5000-8000 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....North around 20 mph.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.TONIGHT...
Sky/weather.........Mostly clear.
Min temperature.....41-46.
24 hr trend......9 degrees cooler.
Max humidity........69 percent.
24 hr trend......15 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......Northeast 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southeast
after midnight.
Smoke dispersal.....Poor.
Mixing height.......400-7800 ft AGL until 2400, then 400-500 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....Northeast around 10 mph shifting to the
southeast after midnight.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...
Sky/weather.........Sunny.
Max temperature.....80-85.
24 hr trend......10 degrees warmer.
Min humidity........18 percent.
24 hr trend......1 percent drier.
20-foot winds.......Breezy. South 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to
25 mph in the afternoon.
Smoke dispersal.....Excellent.
Mixing height.......400-3700 ft AGL until 1200, then 3800-7800 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....South 20 to 25 mph.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.THURSDAY...Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs
in the mid 80s. West winds 15 to 25 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. Highs in the mid
80s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the
upper 80s. South winds 10 to 20 mph.
.SUNDAY...Not as warm. Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 40s. Highs in the lower 70s.
.MONDAY...Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and slight chance of
thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 30s. Highs in the upper 60s.
$$
NEZ210-122330-
Frenchman Basin-
234 AM MDT Tue May 12 2026
.TODAY...
Sky/weather.........Sunny.
Max temperature.....78-83.
24 hr trend......7 degrees cooler.
Min humidity........18 percent.
24 hr trend......2 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......North 10 to 20 mph.
Smoke dispersal.....Very good.
Mixing height.......600-3900 ft AGL until 1200, then 4600-7900 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....North 20 to 25 mph.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.TONIGHT...
Sky/weather.........Mostly clear.
Min temperature.....Around 44.
24 hr trend......10 degrees cooler.
Max humidity........69 percent.
24 hr trend......8 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......Northeast 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southeast
after midnight.
Smoke dispersal.....Poor.
Mixing height.......400-7700 ft AGL until 2400, then 400-500 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....Northeast around 15 mph shifting to the
southeast after midnight.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...
Sky/weather.........Sunny.
Max temperature.....Around 85.
24 hr trend......4 degrees warmer.
Min humidity........18 percent.
24 hr trend......Unchanged.
20-foot winds.......Breezy. South 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to
25 mph in the afternoon.
Smoke dispersal.....Excellent.
Mixing height.......400-3500 ft AGL until 1200, then 4100-6700 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....South around 15 mph increasing to around 25 mph
in the afternoon.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs around
90. West winds 10 to 20 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. Highs in the upper
80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly clear. Slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs around 90. South
winds 10 to 20 mph.
.SUNDAY...Not as warm. Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs around 80.
.MONDAY...Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and slight chance of
thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 40s. Highs in the lower 70s.
$$
NEZ206-122330-
Sandhills/Valentine NWR/Nebraska National Forest-
334 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026
.TODAY...
Sky/weather.........Mostly sunny. Slight chance of sprinkles early
in the morning.
Max temperature.....74-79.
24 hr trend......12 degrees cooler.
Min humidity........19 percent.
24 hr trend......2 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......North 10 to 20 mph.
Smoke dispersal.....Excellent.
Mixing height.......600-4100 ft AGL until 1200, then 4700-7800 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....North around 25 mph.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.TONIGHT...
Sky/weather.........Mostly clear.
Min temperature.....Around 43.
24 hr trend......13 degrees cooler.
Max humidity........70 percent.
24 hr trend......20 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......North 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southeast
after midnight.
Smoke dispersal.....Poor.
Mixing height.......400-7800 ft AGL.
Transport winds.....North around 15 mph shifting to the southeast
after midnight.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...
Sky/weather.........Sunny.
Max temperature.....80-85.
24 hr trend......9 degrees warmer.
Min humidity........17 percent.
24 hr trend......2 percent drier.
20-foot winds.......South 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph in
the afternoon.
Smoke dispersal.....Excellent.
Mixing height.......300-4000 ft AGL until 1200, then 4300-6900 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....South 15 to 20 mph.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.THURSDAY...Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Highs in
the mid 80s. West winds 15 to 25 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. Highs in the mid
80s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the upper 80s.
South winds 10 to 20 mph.
.SUNDAY...Not as warm. Partly cloudy. Chance of showers and
slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows around 50. Highs in the mid
70s.
.MONDAY...Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and slight chance of
thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 40s. Highs in the upper 60s.
$$
NEZ219-122330-
Loess Plains-
334 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026
.TODAY...
Sky/weather.........Mostly sunny.
Max temperature.....78-83.
24 hr trend......4 degrees cooler.
Min humidity........16 percent.
24 hr trend......Unchanged.
20-foot winds.......North 10 to 20 mph.
Smoke dispersal.....Very good.
Mixing height.......500-4000 ft AGL until 1200, then 4700-7500 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....North 20 to 25 mph.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.TONIGHT...
Sky/weather.........Mostly clear.
Min temperature.....Around 43.
24 hr trend......9 degrees cooler.
Max humidity........67 percent.
24 hr trend......1 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......Northeast 5 to 10 mph.
Smoke dispersal.....Poor.
Mixing height.......400-7600 ft AGL.
Transport winds.....Northeast around 15 mph shifting to the east
after midnight.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...
Sky/weather.........Sunny.
Max temperature.....Around 84.
24 hr trend......3 degrees warmer.
Min humidity........16 percent.
24 hr trend......Unchanged.
20-foot winds.......Southeast up to 5 mph increasing to south 10 to
20 mph in the afternoon.
Smoke dispersal.....Very good.
Mixing height.......400-3600 ft AGL until 1200, then 4200-6900 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....Southeast around 10 mph increasing to south
around 20 mph in the afternoon.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs around
90. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly clear. Slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the upper 80s.
Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly clear. Slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs in the lower 90s.
Southeast winds 10 to 20 mph.
.SUNDAY...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs in the lower 80s.
.MONDAY...Not as warm. Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and
slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 40s. Highs in the
lower 70s.
$$
NEZ208-122330-
Niobrara Valley/Fort Niobrara NWR/Samuel R McKelvie National
Forest-
334 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026
.TODAY...
Sky/weather.........Mostly sunny. Slight chance of sprinkles early
in the morning.
Max temperature.....73-78.
24 hr trend......13 degrees cooler.
Min humidity........20 percent.
24 hr trend......4 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......Northwest 10 to 20 mph.
Smoke dispersal.....Excellent.
Mixing height.......600-4900 ft AGL until 1200, then 5300-8700 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....North around 20 mph increasing to northwest
around 30 mph in the afternoon.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.TONIGHT...
Sky/weather.........Mostly clear.
Min temperature.....42-47.
24 hr trend......11 degrees cooler.
Max humidity........72 percent.
24 hr trend......21 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......North 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southwest
after midnight.
Smoke dispersal.....Poor.
Mixing height.......400-8400 ft AGL until 2400, then 300-500 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....North around 15 mph becoming southwest around 5
mph after midnight.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...
Sky/weather.........Sunny.
Max temperature.....80-85.
24 hr trend......7 degrees warmer.
Min humidity........19 percent.
24 hr trend......1 percent drier.
20-foot winds.......Southwest up to 5 mph increasing to south 10 to
15 mph in the afternoon.
Smoke dispersal.....Excellent.
Mixing height.......300-5500 ft AGL until 1200, then 4800-7700 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....Southwest around 10 mph increasing to south
around 20 mph in the afternoon.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.THURSDAY...Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Highs in
the mid 80s. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the mid
80s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the upper 80s.
South winds 10 to 20 mph.
.SUNDAY...Not as warm. Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and
slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs in
the mid 70s.
.MONDAY...Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers. Lows in the lower
40s. Highs in the upper 60s.
$$
NEZ209-122330-
Loup Rivers Basin-
334 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...
.TODAY...
Sky/weather.........Mostly sunny. Slight chance of sprinkles early
in the morning.
Max temperature.....75-80.
24 hr trend......9 degrees cooler.
Min humidity........19 percent.
24 hr trend......5 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......North 10 to 20 mph.
Smoke dispersal.....Excellent.
Mixing height.......500-4300 ft AGL until 1200, then 4600-8200 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....North 25 to 30 mph.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.TONIGHT...
Sky/weather.........Mostly clear.
Min temperature.....41-46.
24 hr trend......12 degrees cooler.
Max humidity........72 percent.
24 hr trend......15 percent wetter.
20-foot winds.......North 5 to 10 mph.
Smoke dispersal.....Poor.
Mixing height.......400-8100 ft AGL.
Transport winds.....North around 15 mph becoming northeast around 5
mph after midnight.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...
Sky/weather.........Sunny.
Max temperature.....79-84.
24 hr trend......3 degrees warmer.
Min humidity........17 percent.
24 hr trend......3 percent drier.
20-foot winds.......South up to 5 mph increasing to 5 to 15 mph in
the afternoon.
Smoke dispersal.....Very good.
Mixing height.......300-4900 ft AGL until 1200, then 5000-7300 ft
AGL.
Transport winds.....Southwest 10 to 15 mph.
Chance of thunder...0 percent.
.FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.THURSDAY...Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs
in the mid 80s. South winds 15 to 25 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly clear. Slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the mid 80s.
Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Lows around 50. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 10 to 20 mph.
.SUNDAY...Not as warm. Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs in the upper 70s.
.MONDAY...Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and slight chance of
thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 40s. Highs in the upper 60s.
$$