Alert archive / Nebraska / Red Flag Warnings in 2026

Red Flag Warning 20, NWS Hastings, NE

April 15, 202624 counties in Nebraska; 6 counties in Kansas

NWS Hastings, NE issued this red flag warning at Apr 15, 2026, 3:16 PM CDT for 24 counties in Nebraska; 6 counties in Kansas. It took effect at Apr 16, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 11 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 15, 2026, 3:16 PM CDT (20:16 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 16, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 16, 2026, 11:11 PM CDT
In force
11 hr
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
All 30 counties

Jewell County, KS, Mitchell County, KS, Osborne County, KS, Phillips County, KS, Rooks County, KS, Smith County, KS, Adams County, NE, Buffalo County, NE, Clay County, NE, Dawson County, NE, Fillmore County, NE, Franklin County, NE, Furnas County, NE, Gosper County, NE, Greeley County, NE, Hall County, NE, Hamilton County, NE, Harlan County, NE, Howard County, NE, Kearney County, NE, Merrick County, NE, Nance County, NE, Nuckolls County, NE, Phelps County, NE, Polk County, NE, Sherman County, NE, Thayer County, NE, Valley County, NE, Webster County, NE, York County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 27 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:19 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 306 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2026-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 721 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2026-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 372 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
721 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
567 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
372 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
364 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.8
Supercell composite
8.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this red flag warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this red flag warning went out at Apr 15, 12:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 15, 12:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 15, 2:48 AM CDT, 12 hours 28 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...CORRECTED
National Weather Service Hastings NE
248 AM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-
160745-
Phillips-Smith-Jewell-Rooks-Osborne-Mitchell-Valley-Greeley-Nance-
Sherman-Howard-Merrick-Polk-Dawson-Buffalo-Hall-Hamilton-York-
Gosper-Phelps-Kearney-Adams-Clay-Fillmore-Furnas-Harlan-Franklin-
Webster-Nuckolls-Thayer-
248 AM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central Nebraska and
portions of north central Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Throughout most of the daylight hours today, at least spotty,
isolated thunderstorms will be possible almost anywhere in our
forecast area, but mostly favoring our Nebraska counties. The
majority of this hit-or-miss activity should be fairly weak.
However, a few storms could become strong to marginally-severe,
capable of producing hail up to around the size of quarters,
and/or wind gusts up to around 60 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

- Almost daily fire weather concerns:
Each afternoon between Thursday and Tuesday, at least near-
critical fire weather conditions are forecast develop within at
least parts of our forecast area.

Outright critical conditions are probable on at least a few days,
wherever there is a combination of wind gusts of 25 MPH or
higher, and relative humidity of 20 percent or lower. The
afternoons currently forecast to have the most widespread
critical conditions within our forecast area are Thursday,
Saturday and Monday. For Thursday, a Fire Weather Watch has been
issued for our entire forecast area for the afternoon and
early-evening hours.

- Friday strong winds and limited thunderstorm potential:
Friday into Friday evening, a strong cold front will slice
southward through our entire area, accompanied by moderately-
strong north winds, likely gusting at least 40 MPH at times.

In addition, late Friday afternoon and evening, there is a small
chance that a few thunderstorms could clip mainly the far
southeastern edges of our forecast area. Although a spotty
stronger storm cannot yet be ruled out in our far southeast
counties, it's looking increasingly likely that any potentially
widespread threat for severe storms should focus entirely south
and east of our forecast area.

- Slightly sub-freezing temperatures possible this weekend:
For those who already have concerns for freezing temperatures and
resultant impacts to gardening or irrigation systems, at least
slightly sub-freezing temperatures appear possible both Saturday
and Sunday mornings.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Although the vast majority of our forecast area will likely not
experience any severe thunderstorms today, spotters are
encouraged to report any potential instances of hail and/or
damaging wind gusts, should any occur.

&&

More information may be obtained at the following web page:
   https://www.weather.gov/hastings

Pfannkuch

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 15, 12:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Hastings NE
1200 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

NEZ063-064-151730-
Hamilton NE-York NE-
1200 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT WESTERN YORK AND SOUTHEASTERN
HAMILTON COUNTIES THROUGH 1230 PM CDT...

At 1200 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Stockham, or 21 miles southeast of Grand Island, moving northeast at
40 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

This strong thunderstorm will be near...
  Stockham around 1205 PM CDT.
  Henderson around 1210 PM CDT.
  Bradshaw around 1215 PM CDT.

This includes Interstate 80 between mile markers 328 and 353.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 4070 9784 4070 9807 4079 9816 4099 9774
      4078 9755
TIME...MOT...LOC 1700Z 240DEG 37KT 4076 9801

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

Thies
Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 14, 9:44 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDThayer31 min
Apr 14, 10:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDThayer43 min
Apr 15, 1:39 AM CDTFire Weather WatchGIDAdams, Buffalo, Clay, Dawson, Fillmore, Franklin and 18 more14 hr
Apr 15, 9:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDNance12 min
Apr 15, 12:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDHamilton30 min
Apr 15, 12:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHamilton, York40 min
Apr 15, 12:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDYork24 min
Apr 15, 5:46 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDHall44 min
Apr 15, 5:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDAdams31 min
Apr 15, 6:18 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDAdams27 min
Apr 14, 10:19 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDJewell26 min
Apr 14, 10:24 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDJewell36 min
Apr 14, 10:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDJewell, Mitchell32 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Nebraska, 2026Red Flag Warnings in Kansas, 2026Every red flag warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.