textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- Much cooler through Wednesday with a return to seasonable temperatures Thursday.

- Above normal temperatures return for Friday and Saturday with storm chances returning late Saturday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 125 PM CDT Tue May 5 2026

A deep trough was situated over Ontario while another shortwave trough over the Northern High Plains was rotating through this feature and will arrive over the Central Rockies/Central High Plains tonight and Wednesday. This feature will merge with another shortwave trough lifting out of the Southwest bringing increasing chances for showers and some wintry weather into parts of northwest Kansas. Mid-level warm air advection is progged to increase tonight and persist into Wednesday morning leading to continued chances for light rain showers, with the highest confidence for precipitation in central and western Kansas early in the day before diminishing as we move into the afternoon hours. We still expect rainfall amounts to remain on the light side with most locations seeing less than 0.25 inches of rain. Another cool day is anticipated with below average temperatures; afternoon highs are expected to top out in the 50s once again.

As surface high pressure builds into the Lower/Middle Mississippi Valley area on Thursday, southerly low level flow will return to the Central Plains. This will allow seasonably mild air to return to the area with some increasing insolation and highs in the upper 60s/lower 70s. A subtle frontal boundary is progged to sweep over the area on Friday with little impacts to sensible weather anticipated.

Another shortwave trough is progged to dig into the Central Plains late Saturday bringing increasing chances for showers and perhaps a few storms with cooler air arriving in it's wake. Northwest mid/upper flow is progged to prevail Mon-Tue with mild and mostly dry weather conditions anticipated through the period.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1054 PM CDT Tue May 5 2026

Overcast skies will continue through much of the forecast time frame with scattered showers into the day on Wednesday. Cigs will fall to MVFR levels over the next few hours with IFR levels possible for RSL and GBD between 11-15Z. Ceilings will lift to VFR levels beginning after 21Z for south-central Kansas sites and after 00Z for central Kansas sites. Clearing skies are anticipated towards the very end of the forecast period.

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.