textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- Cooler today with moderating temperatures Sunday-Monday.

- Gusty southwest winds on Wednesday could result in very high to extreme grassland fire danger for parts of central Kansas.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 224 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

Showers and thunderstorms have exited southeast Kansas with breezy northwest winds in the wake of a cold front. A stable post-frontal airmass will overspread the area today as drier air advects into the region. It will remain seasonably cool with highs in the lower 60s for most areas.

Surface high pressure will overspread eastern Kansas tonight with strong radiational cooling and areas of frost possible across much of the area. Light winds and clear conditions will result in a tranquil weather day on Sunday with highs in the upper 60s for most areas.

A clipper system is progged to dig over the Great Lakes area on Monday while a cold front is forced south into the Central Plains. This front is progged to bisect the forecast area late Monday before moving southward into northern Oklahoma Monday night. This will result in another cold night over the forecast area on Monday night but the front is progged to return northward on Tuesday with breezy southeast winds returning to the region. Dry conditions are expected to prevail through Tuesday with mild, slightly above average temperatures persisting across the area.

Wed...maintained some low pops on Wed as a subtle shortwave trough races eastward across the area. Gusty southwest winds could result in elevated fire weather concerns in parts of central Kansas where fuels remain dry and cured. We could see highs around 80 in parts of central KS.

Thu-Fri...A pattern change may allow unsettled weather to return to the area late in the week as a mid/upper trough sets up over the Southwest allowing southwest mid/upper flow to develop downstream over the central CONUS. Mild conditions are expected to prevail with periodic chances for showers and storms as we move into Thu-Fri and beyond.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1033 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

A few showers and storms will track northeast across parts of far southeast Kansas overnight, otherwise VFR conditions will prevail across the region over the next 24hrs. Northwest winds will increase for late tonight into the morning hours on Saturday. The northwest winds will diminish around sunset.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 224 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

Breezy northwest winds will result in a a very high grassland fire danger over much of central Kansas this afternoon.

After a brief break on Sunday, breezy southeast winds will return resulting in a very high grassland fire danger over much of central and parts of south central Kansas on Monday and Tuesday during the afternoon hours.

Strong southwest winds will develop across the area on Wednesday with minimum relative humidity falling below 30 percent over parts of central Kansas resulting in extreme grassland fire danger while much of south central Kansas and the Flint Hills will experience a very high grassland fire danger on Wednesday.

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.