Although the some local areas received between 3 and 6 inches of snow last week, the light, fluffy white stuff amounted to only around one-tenth of an inch in actual moisture. This means the central Nebraska region is still woefully behind its rainfall total for the year so far. As of Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in North Platte had issued a Fire Weather Watch Wednesday, February 25.
Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service in North Platte issued had a Red Flag Warning for southwest Nebraska. However, while Wednesday’s warning covered only the southwest corner of the state, with ongoing dry conditions, and weather trending warmer in the late week, local fire departments continue to be on alert for fires that might quickly grow out of control.
Even with a passing thunderstorm Wednesday afternoon and slight chances for rain and snow in the forecast through the weekend, Broken Bow Fire Chief Dustin Watson told KCNI/KBBN that until an appreciable amount of moisture is received in the area over a long period of time, they were still holding off on approving any burn permits in their area of responsibility. Other departments in the region, such as the Loup City Fire Department have also indicated burn bans are in effect.
The NWS is calling for elevated to near critical fire conditions throughout western Nebraska on Thursday and Friday. With minimal overall relative humidity and breezy conditions returning on both days, the potential for a fire to spark and rapidly grow will again begin to rise. While a change in the weather is expected next week with the potential for rain and snow, little to no snow accumulation is expected to help relieve the fire danger.
Area residents are urged to continue to be vigilant and cautious. The Nebraska Forest Service provides several additional tips to avoid sparking a fire. These include properly disposing of any burning materials, ensuring that chains on trailers do not drag, which may create sparks, and avoiding parking vehicles on dry vegetation, as hot engine and exhaust parts may also cause a fire to start.
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