textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- Cooler and quiet this weekend with highs mainly in the 80s on Saturday.

- Warming trend expected next week with high temperatures returning to the middle 90s for most by Tuesday.

- Low chances for rain showers and storms may return to the area by midweek.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 221 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

Current water vapor imagery and RAP analysis highlight a mid/upper wave tracking over the Northern Plains alongside a retrograding ridge shifting over the Desert Southwest. A surface low resides in northern Iowa, and the associated cold front extends through southeast Kansas. Gusty north/northwest winds have been observed behind this boundary so far today, and with these ushering relatively cool air into the area, lows tonight should dip into the 60s for most locations. Breezy north winds are once again expected on Saturday primarily along and east of I-135 as a stout surface ridge builds into the area. This will continue to advect cooler air into the region, and subsequent afternoon highs in the 80s are forecast for most locations to begin the weekend.

Mid/long range models continue to indicate a slight warming trend through the beginning of next week as an upper ridge builds over the Central Plains. Highs on Sunday will range from the middle 80s to low 90s before some areas (especially in central Kansas) see highs returning to the upper 90s on Monday. From here, near to slightly above average temperatures are expected to remain in place areawide, though per the prior discussion, dewpoints in the upper 50s and low 60s should preclude headline-worthy heat indices through at least the middle of the week.

The area should remain dry through Tuesday before long-range models highlight the next chances for rain as a mid/upper wave traverses the Northern Plains. The associated cold front appears to stall out across Nebraska and Kansas which may result in on- and-off chances for showers and storms through the end of the week. Details regarding timing and location remain a bit unclear this far out, however, so stay tuned as additional information becomes available.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 618 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2026

Aviation concerns are expected to remain on the low side through the next 24 hours.

Cool front came through several hours ago and flipped winds around to the north with some gusts around 30kts. Winds will remain out of the north tonight with speeds dropping off quickly as sunset approaches. North winds will once again pick-up a few hours after sunrise Sat, with some gusts in the 20-25kt range likely, especially across eastern KS. Confidence remains high that VFR conditions will remain in place through this TAF period.

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for KSZ096-098>100.