textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- After a mild and tranquil day today, another round of severe storms will arrive Friday afternoon and evening, especially for areas along and southeast of the Kansas Turnpike.

- A cold front will usher in drier air and below average temperatures on Saturday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 136 AM CDT Thu Apr 2 2026

A negatively tilted shortwave trough was lifting across the Central Plains early this morning and is progged to move over the Upper Mississippi Valley area as we move through the day today. Some lingering showers may be possible through mid-moring in parts of east central KS before a dry and stable airmass builds into the area as we move through the day. Breezy westerly winds are expected to peak early in the day before diminishing during the afternoon hours. Mild, above average temperatures will prevail with highs mostly in the 70s.

Friday...a vigorous shortwave trough over the Northern Rockies is progged to move into the Central/Northern Plains late in the period on Friday. This will force a cold front south and east across Kansas during the day on Friday. The frontal boundary will provide a focus for deep moist convection after 20-21Z which will favor areas mainly along and southeast of the Kansas Turnpike. Steep mid-lvl lapse rates with 1500 J/KG of MLCAPE are progged with deep layer shear around 50 knots. The deep layer shear vectors are running parallel to the frontal boundary likely leading to rapid linear mode which may limit hail size to some degree. The best chance for severe storms will be across southeast KS early Friday evening.

Sat-Sun...a stable post-frontal regime is progged to build over the area on Saturday with breezy winds early in the day before speeds diminish by afternoon. Seasonable temperatures are anticipated with highs in the 60s for most areas. Decent radiational cooling is anticipated Sat night into early Sunday as a ridge of high pressure builds over the area. This will bring light winds and plenty of insolation on Sunday allowing highs to climb into the 60s/around 70 under sunny conditions.

Another cold front is progged to move into the Central Plains on Monday and this front may bisect Kansas during the day resulting in wide range of temperatures across the area. Clouds and low level cold air advection north of the boundary may keep temperatures much lower in some areas and confidence in the temperature forecast on Monday remains low.

Tue-Wed...A mid/upper ridge is progged to build into the central CONUS toward the middle of the week allowing the boundary to return northward with increasing thickness and moderating temperatures. Above normal temperatures are expected to return with highs in the 70s on Wed.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 1108 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

Aviation concerns will be storms for a couple more hours and then low clouds early Thu morning.

Upper shortwave is currently making its way out of far eastern CO and into western KS. Storms are expected to continue over southeast KS for only a couple more hours. Low cigs are just north of I-70 and may creep into KRSL-KSLN over the next few hours. Surface low will quickly track into central KS by 12z Thu and will flip winds around to the northwest as it slides east. Some wrap-around low cigs may impact central KS Thu morning but will be very progressive. By the afternoon hours, northwest and west winds will be in place with plenty of sunshine.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 136 AM CDT Thu Apr 2 2026

A very high grassland fire danger will return to parts of central and south central Kansas on Friday and Saturday during the afternoon hours as breezy northwest winds impact the area and minimum relative humidity falls below 30 percent. A very high grassland fire danger will return Monday through Wednesday over much of central and parts of south central Kansas as a result of breezy southerly winds.

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.