Omaha, NE Weather Alerts

The National Weather Service in Omaha/Valley has issued a Red
Flag Warning for very strong winds and dry fuels, which is in
effect from noon to 8 PM CDT Saturday. The Fire Weather Watch is
no longer in effect.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 011 Knox, Fire Weather Zone
012 Cedar, Fire Weather Zone 015 Thurston, Fire Weather Zone
016 Antelope, Fire Weather Zone 017 Pierce, Fire Weather Zone
018 Wayne, Fire Weather Zone 030 Boone, Fire Weather Zone 031
Madison, Fire Weather Zone 032 Stanton, Fire Weather Zone 033
Cuming, Fire Weather Zone 034 Burt, Fire Weather Zone 042
Platte, Fire Weather Zone 043 Colfax, Fire Weather Zone 044
Dodge, Fire Weather Zone 045 Washington, Fire Weather Zone 050
Butler, Fire Weather Zone 051 Saunders, Fire Weather Zone 052
Douglas, Fire Weather Zone 053 Sarpy, Fire Weather Zone 065
Seward, Fire Weather Zone 066 Lancaster, Fire Weather Zone 067
Cass, Fire Weather Zone 068 Otoe, Fire Weather Zone 078
Saline, Fire Weather Zone 088 Jefferson, Fire Weather Zone 089
Gage, Fire Weather Zone 090 Johnson, Fire Weather Zone 091
Nemaha, Fire Weather Zone 092 Pawnee and Fire Weather Zone 093
Richardson.

* TIMING...Saturday Afternoon and Evening

* WINDS...Southeast 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 36 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...Up to 68.

* IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor
burning is not recommended.

* WHAT...Southeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph
expected.

* WHERE...Portions of southwest and west central Iowa and east
central, northeast, and southeast Nebraska.

* WHEN...From noon to 10 PM CDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree
limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

* WHAT...Temperatures as low as 32 will result in frost formation.

* WHERE...Portions of southwest Iowa, and portions of east central
and southeast Nebraska.

* WHEN...From Midnight tonight to 9 AM CDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive
outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

* WHAT...Temperatures as low as 33 will result in frost formation.

* WHERE...Portions of southwest Iowa, and portions of east central
and southeast Nebraska.

* WHEN...From Midnight tonight to 9 AM CDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive
outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 108.

* WHERE...Portions of east central, northeast and southeast
Nebraska.

* WHEN...Until 9 PM CDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 108.

* WHERE...Portions of east central, northeast and southeast
Nebraska.

* WHEN...Until 9 PM CDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.

WHAT...Air Quality Alert

WHERE...DESCRIPTION OF GENERAL REGION - Nebraska-statewide

WHEN... 5/18/2023 9:30 AM until 5/19/2023 12:00 PM

POLLUTANT...PM 2.5 particulates

AIR QUALITY INDEX...Moderate to Unhealthy

ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

An alert for possible Moderate to Unhealthy air quality (Air
Quality Index yellow/orange/red category) due to smoke has been
issued for the entire state of Nebraska, which includes the
following counties: Adams, Antelope, Arthur, Banner, Blaine,
Boone, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Burt, Butler, Cass, Cedar,
Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Clay, Colfax, Cuming, Custer, Dakota,
Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dixon, Dodge, Douglas, Dundy, Fillmore,
Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Grant,
Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker,
Howard, Jefferson, Johnson, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Kimball,
Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, Madison, McPherson,
Merrick, Morrill, Nance, Nemaha, Nuckolls, Otoe, Pawnee, Perkins,
Phelps, Pierce, Platte, Polk, Red Willow, Richardson, Rock,
Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman,
Sioux, Stanton, Thayer, Thomas, Thurston, Valley, Washington,
Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, York, from May 18, 9:30am through May 19,
12:00 pm.

Smoke from fires in Canada is expected to impact air quality
conditions in Nebraska.

During Moderate (AQI yellow category) conditions, those who are
unusually sensitive to particle pollution should consider reducing
prolonged or heavy exertion.

During Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (AQI orange category)
conditions, members of sensitive groups are advised to reduce
prolonged or heavy exertion and avoid intense outdoor activities.
Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, older
adults, and children.

During Unhealthy (AQI red category) conditions, some members of
the general public may experience health effects and members of
sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. All
are advised to avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and consider
moving activities indoors or rescheduling.

Smoke levels and wind directions are monitored by Nebraska and
other states to predict when impacts to the air quality may occur.

Air Quality alerts for smoke are issued for affected areas by the
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Department of
Environment and Energy and posted on agency webpages and social
media sites. By notifying the media and local health departments,
alerts help citizens protect their health by informing them of
days where outdoor activities should be reduced or avoided to
minimize exposure to smoke.

Alerts are based on data available from weather forecasts, smoke
plume modeling, satellite imagery, and from air quality monitors
located in Omaha, Bellevue, Lincoln, Beatrice, Grand Island, and
Scottsbluff.