textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- Above normal temperatures starting today with dangerous heat likely for Sunday through Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday.

- Cooler temperatures arriving by Thursday, along with increased storm chances.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 317 AM CDT Sat Aug 8 2026

Currently have strong upper ridging centered over the Four Corners region with upper troughing from Ontario down through the Great Lakes region. Meanwhile, there is a stationary front near or just south of the KS/NE border with high pressure from the Mississippi Valley through the Southeast CONUS.

Upper ridging will continue to expand into the Southern Plains today as the surface high also slides east. This will allow the front to lift north and start to wash out. There will be a slight chance for a few storms to develop late this afternoon over northwest KS along an area of surface convergence which will be in a highly mixed airmass. If storms do develop, they would mainly affect a few counties in central KS after 00z Sun.

Confidence is high in above normal temps area wide today with a few locations west of I-135 reaching 100. How much we mix today will determine how extreme heat indices get today. Currently have a lean to the drier more mixed solution for locations along and especially west of I-135, which would result in heat index values near or a couple degrees higher than temps. Hotter temperatures are still likely for Sunday and will continue through Wednesday. Through this period highs will generally be in the 98-104 degree range, with the higher temps over southern and central KS. Models continue the trend of mixing dewpoints over western portions of our forecast area into the 50s each afternoon, which will keep heat indices from getting too extreme. However, even with a drier airmass in place, heat indices will still be in the 102-107 range for 3-4 days, so a heat headline may still be needed.

For Wed into Thu the upper pattern will undergo a change, with one piece of energy tracking southeast out of British Columbia with another impulse sliding southeast out of MB. This will allow a cold front to move into the area for Wed night into Thu and will bring cooler readings and increased storm chances. The GFS pushes the front through faster compared to the ECMWF, so confidence in the exact timing of the front is not that high at this time.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 633 AM CDT Sat Aug 8 2026

Aviation concerns will remain on the low side through the next 24 hours.

Surface high pressure will slowly shift east today and will allow southeast winds to turn more southerly and increase as the day continues. By late this afternoon we are expecting some gusts in the 20-25kt range, with the higher gusts along and west of I-135. Confidence is high that VFR conditions will continue through this TAF period.

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.