textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- Cold front tonight will bring slightly cooler temperatures and clouds for Thursday and Friday.

- Dry and seasonably mild for the weekend and early next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 100 PM CST Wed Dec 31 2025

Currently, the upper level ridge axis extends from the Desert Southwest, through the Great Basin, and into the PacNW. As the trough exits the CONUS to the east, solid northwesterly flow in the mid/upper levels is present overhead. At the surface, a frontal boundary is draped across the Northern Plains with light southwesterly winds across the forecast area. This is allowing a decent warm-up this afternoon as temperatures have already reached into the upper 40s to lower 50s areawide. Temperatures will climb a few more degrees under mostly clear skies with highs topping out in the upper 50s for just about everyone. A few 60s are not out of the question for locations further west.

Tonight, a weak short wave will pass across the area dragging an associated surface front through the region. Winds will turn northwesterly overnight and post-frontal low stratus will fill in behind the front leading to a very cloudy New Year's Day. The thickest cloud cover will be situated over the northeastern quadrant of the state. These thick clouds will limit warming for Thursday with highs only anticipated to reach into the 40s for northeastern portions of the forecast area. The cold front will begin to lift back north as a warm front on Thursday afternoon allowing locations in southern and western Kansas to see temperatures warm into the lower 50s. Another short wave will pass over the region on Friday, driving the cold front back south. Temperatures on Friday will once again be limited in the 40s and lower 50s with cloud cover lingering across much of the area.

Going forward through the weekend and early next week, the upper level ridge will continue to move eastward and by this weekend the ridge axis will extend overhead. The increasing heights will allow decent warming with high temperatures potentially reaching into the lower 60s by Sunday and into early next week with lows in the 30s and 40s. Mostly dry conditions with partly cloudy skies are expected for the end of the forecast period.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1121 AM CST Wed Dec 31 2025

VFR conditions for all sites through this afternoon and evening. Southwesterly winds around 10 knots will turn northwesterly with a frontal passage between 02-07Z. Around 12Z, winds will turn northeasterly/easterly and lower cigs will move in from the northeast. High confidence (80-90% chance) in SLN seeing at least MVFR cigs, but lower confidence (40-50% chance) in all other sites falling to MVFR levels. Conditions look to improve just beyond the forecast time frame.

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.