textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- Unseasonably cool tonight with some record or near record lows possible early Thursday morning.

- Warming trend beginning Thursday.

- Isolated late day storm in southeast KS on Friday, although higher probabilities for storms may arrive on Saturday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1243 PM CDT Wed May 6 2026

Light rain showers over parts of central Kansas will gradually diminish as we move through the day and with increasing large-scale forcing for subsidence this evening and tonight we expect some clearing as we move through the evening hours. Radiational cooling will follow but we continue to see support for some mixing in our central KS counties which may keep temperatures from bottoming out along the I-70 corridor. Either way, some patchy frost will be hard to rule out for areas mainly west Hwy 14 where a frost advisory will be hoisted for tonight/early Thu.

Southwesterly low level flow, dry air and full insolation will allow temperatures to return to more seasonable values on Thursday afternoon with highs climbing into the low to mid 70s for much of the area although southeast KS may lag a bit.

Fri-Sat...A progressive northwest mid/upper flow will allow one shortwave trough to arrive late in the day on Fri which could result in an isolated storm or two along an advancing frontal boundary in far southeast KS although higher probabilities are expected to remain south and east of the area. Another shortwave trough is progged to arrive right on it's heels on Saturday. Low level moisture is progged to remain scarce but with 40-45 knots of deep layer shear, we could see a strong storm or two before a reinforcing shot of drier air arrives forcing the low level moisture well south of the area as we move into Sunday. Mild temperatures are anticipated through the period with highs in the 70s and 80s, coolest on Sunday as we see a stable post-frontal regime build over the area.

Mon-Wed...A mid/upper ridge over the western CONUS is progged to translate eastward into the central CONUS early next week bringing rising heights/increasing thickness and rising temperatures. We could see highs climb into the 90s for parts of the area through the period while mostly dry weather conditions prevail.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 622 PM CDT Wed May 6 2026

Good aviation conditions expected with mid-level clouds slowly eroding as the night goes on. Northerly winds will switch around to a light westerly direction tonight, then to a southwest direction during the day on Thursday.

CLIMATE

Issued at 1243 PM CDT Wed May 6 2026

Low temperatures for Tonight-Early Thursday...

Forecast Record Low Year Wichita 39 37 1908 Salina 37 35 1951 Chanute 39 36 1989 Russell 34 34 1960

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Frost Advisory from 3 AM to 8 AM CDT Thursday for KSZ032-047- 050-067-082-091.