...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.

* 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.