textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- Another round of showers and thunderstorms will impact the area tonight into Friday morning.

- Increasing potential for heat indices above 100 for Saturday through much of next week, especially for southern and southeast Kansas.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 110 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

Showers and thunderstorms were ongoing for areas east of I-135 late this morning and this activity is expected to gradually shift east and diminish as the mid-level waa continues to wane. Efficient rainfall is anticipated with PWATs over 2 inches with considerable warm cloud depth approximations. Morning precipitation and some cloud debris lingering into the afternoon hours will likely limit maximum temperatures for many areas this afternoon and values were trended lower. This pattern will remain in place for tonight with another rounds of showers and storms anticipated for much of the area. A shortwave trough emerging from the Northern Rockies may allow for better coverage of storms across the area tonight into early Friday. The axis of heaviest precipitation may shift SSW slightly from the previous night with PWATs progged around 2.25 inches bringing efficient rainfall once again.

The deeper moisture in the column is progged to shift eastward as we move through the day on Friday as we begin to see more influence from the mid/upper ridge over the Southern Rockies. A moist and uncapped airmass on Friday afternoon may lead to some afternoon storms redeveloping along any residual outflow boundaries. Similar to today, morning precipitation and lingering cloud debris may dampen the diurnal rise on Friday, especially in eastern KS.

As we move through the weekend and into next week, rising heights/increasing thickness will support rising temperatures. Hot and dry conditions are anticipated through much of the week but as we move into the middle of the week, another frontal boundary will try to sag south into Kansas before becoming stationary. This front could become a focus for showers and storms although higher probabilities are expected to remain just north of our area across northeast Kansas. Afternoon heat indices will likely climb over 100 through much of the week, especially for southern and southeast Kansas.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 635 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

Breezy easterly to southeasterly winds will diminish slightly over the next few hours. Then, widespread showers will move west across the region during the overnight hours and into the morning. Reduced vis and low cigs will lead to periods of MVFR conditions with the heaviest activity. Rain/storms will shift east out of the central and south-central Kansas between 14-16Z, finally clearing out of southeast Kansas after 20Z. Breezy southerly winds are expected behind the convection.

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.