3/25/2026 2:03:00 AM until 3/25/2026 9:00:00 PM

CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY MORNING... * 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.