Alert archive / Nebraska / Red Flag Warnings in 2026
Red Flag Warning 20, NWS Hastings, NE
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.
- 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
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...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
ThiesLocal storm report, Apr 15, 1:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 9:44 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | GID | Thayer | 31 min |
| Apr 14, 10:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Thayer | 43 min |
| Apr 15, 1:39 AM CDT | Fire Weather Watch | GID | Adams, Buffalo, Clay, Dawson, Fillmore, Franklin and 18 more | 14 hr |
| Apr 15, 9:04 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Nance | 12 min |
| Apr 15, 12:00 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | GID | Hamilton | 30 min |
| Apr 15, 12:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Hamilton, York | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 12:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | York | 24 min |
| Apr 15, 5:46 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | GID | Hall | 44 min |
| Apr 15, 5:59 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | GID | Adams | 31 min |
| Apr 15, 6:18 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | GID | Adams | 27 min |
| Apr 14, 10:19 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | GID | Jewell | 26 min |
| Apr 14, 10:24 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | GID | Jewell | 36 min |
| Apr 14, 10:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Jewell, Mitchell | 32 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.