Fire Weather Watch

FROM: NWS North Platte NE
AREA: Eastern Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR; Sandhills/Valentine NWR/Nebraska National Forest; Niobrara Valley/Fort Niobrara NWR/Samuel R McKelvie National Forest; Loup Rivers Basin; Frenchman Basin; Loess Plains
SENT: 2026-02-16T07:25:00-06:00

Fire Weather Watch issued February 16 at 7:25AM CST until February 17 at 8:00PM CST by NWS North Platte NE

…CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS PROBABLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH MID EVENING…

.Intense low pressure will develop over southern South Dakota
Tuesday morning. The strong west winds will combine with very dry
air, leading to probable critical fire weather conditions across
all of western and north central Nebraska Tuesday afternoon into
the mid evening hours.

* 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…Noon to 8 PM CST (11 AM to 7 PM MST) Tuesday.

* WINDS…West 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph, strongest
winds west of Highway 83.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…As low as 10 to 15 percent.

* TEMPERATURES…Mid 60s to mid 70s.

* LIGHTNING…None expected.

* IMPACTS…Any fire starts will have a high potential to spread
rapidly and will be difficult to control.

A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions
are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible
Red Flag Warnings.

Alert Expiration: 2026-02-16T18:00:00-06:00