Red Flag Warning 6, NWS Dodge City, KS

169 
WWUS83 KDDC 192157
RFWDDC

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
357 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026


KSZ084>090-192300-
/O.CAN.KDDC.FW.W.0006.000000T0000Z-260220T0200Z/
Morton-Stevens-Seward-Meade-Clark-Comanche-Barber-
357 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...

The National Weather Service in Dodge City has cancelled the Red
Flag Warning.

Conditions across southwest KS have failed to reach Red Flag
Warning criteria. With the sun beginning to go down, relative 
humidity will be increasing, and therefore the warning is being 
cancelled.

$$

For more information from NOAA/National weather service visit...
http://weather.gov/ddc

Springer

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
442 PM CST Wed Feb 18 2026

...Updated Aviation...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Strong southwest winds today sustained in the 15-25 mph range
  gusting to 35-40 mph.

- Strong cold front early tomorrow will knock temperatures down
  to near normal for the next several days.

- Precipitation chances still exist Friday night/early Saturday
  associated with a weak cold front.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1135 AM CST Wed Feb 18 2026

Late morning water vapor satellite imagery and RAP upper air
analysis reveal broad longwave troughing is in place over the
western CONUS, with a few shortwave troughs embedded within the
flow over the central Rockies and Great Basin. At the surface,
lee cyclogenesis is underway across eastern CO and adjacent
areas in response to the upstream trough. As the pressure
gradient tightens throughout the day over the central plains,
strong southwesterly winds will materialize, although much
weaker than yesterday, sustained in the 15-25 mph range gusting
to 35-40 mph. These strong downsloping winds along with mostly
clear skies will foster unseasonably warm temperatures today
with afternoon highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. Overnight,
winds will stay elevated as the surface low passes to our north,
allowing Thursday morning temperatures to stay in the 30s to low
40s.

Thursday morning, short range guidance indicates a strong cold
front will pass through southwest KS behind the surface low,
with strong northwesterly winds in its wake drawing much cooler
air into the central plains. As a result, temperatures tomorrow
will be much closer to normal with afternoon highs in the mid
40s near I-70 to the low/mid 50s near the KS/OK border.
Unfortunately, this will be a dry cold front as NBM probability
of QPF greater than 0.01" is less than 15% for all zones.

Friday through the end of the period, medium range ensembles
agree broad upper level troughing will gradually be replaced
by ridging over the western CONUS by early Sunday. Another cold
frontal passage Friday night/early Saturday will keep
temperatures near normal through much of the long term, but the
approaching ridge will induce a warming trend starting early
next work week. Precipitation chances have dipped a bit compared
to this time yesterday, but probability of QPF greater than
0.01" is still in the 30-50% range for roughly the northern half
of our CWA associated with the aforementioned cold front Friday
night/early Saturday.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 442 PM CST Wed Feb 18 2026

VFR will continue through this TAF period, with again wind
direction and magnitude impacting aviation operations. Cirrus
currently in place will decrease, with SKC prevailing Thursday.
The exception to this is a period of wraparound midlevel clouds
at HYS after 18z Thu. Surface low in NW KS at 06z Thu, will move
to eastern KS by 12z Thu, which will bring an increase in
SW winds overnight. After 15z Thu, a rapid increase in NW winds
is expected at all airports, gusting 35-37 kts.

&&

.DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Red Flag Warning until 8 PM CST /7 PM MST/ this evening for
KSZ043>045-061>064-074>080-084>089.

&&

DISCUSSION...Springer
AVIATION...Turner

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
317 AM CST Wed Feb 18 2026

KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-190930-
Trego-Ellis-Scott-Lane-Ness-Rush-Hamilton-Kearny-Finney-Hodgeman-
Pawnee-Stafford-Stanton-Grant-Haskell-Gray-Ford-Edwards-Kiowa-
Pratt-Morton-Stevens-Seward-Meade-Clark-Comanche-Barber-
317 AM CST Wed Feb 18 2026 /217 AM MST Wed Feb 18 2026/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Kansas,
south central Kansas, southwest Kansas, and west central Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Red Flag Warning has been issued for all of southwest Kansas,
starting this afternoon through tomorrow night. Most likely
timeframe will be 12pm to 12 am. Expect southwest winds gusting
35-45 mph with low relative humidity values of 15 to 20%.
Temperatures will also be unseasonably warm with highs generally
in the mid 60s. Winds will start to die down around midnight
tomorrow night, as well as temperatures dipping into the 30s. A
lot like yesterday any ignition will have potential for becoming a
wildfire quickly, spread rapidly, and exhibit extreme fire
behavior.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday

Some snow accumulations are possible Friday night.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed.