Weather Alerts-

Make preparations per the instructions

North Platte - NE, US, National Weather Service

Loup Rivers Basin

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM CDT /9 AM MDT/ THIS MORNING TO 4 AM CDT /3 AM MDT/ SUNDAY FOR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND GUSTY WINDS FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA... 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...Red Flag Warning in effect from 10 AM CDT (9 AM MDT) Saturday through 4 AM CDT (3 AM MDT) Sunday morning. WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 6 percent. TEMPERATURES...Up to 96. LIGHTNING...None expected. IMPACTS...Any fire starts will spread rapidly and will be difficult to control. ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A cold front will arrive from the north late Saturday evening, producing an abrupt wind shift and gusts up to 45 mph during the late evening and overnight hours. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS... .Record high temperatures Saturday in the 90s will lead to single digit relative humidity Saturday afternoon across the area. Low relative humidity will combine with gusty westerly winds to 35 MPH Saturday afternoon, producing critical fire weather conditions. An abrupt change in wind direction to the north will commence late Saturday evening across northern Nebraska, transitioning south into the overnight. Winds with this shift in wind direction will reach up to 45 MPH overnight.