textproduct: Wichita

KEY MESSAGES

- Cold front moving through tonight, bringing much colder temperatures for Sunday.

- Warming trend starting Monday with well above normal temperatures expected on Tuesday.

- Mostly dry conditions are expected to continue through mid next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 339 PM CST Sat Dec 6 2025

At the surface, low pressure sits over the Nebraska/South Dakota border with heavy snow falling north and east of the low. In our area, breezy southerly winds persist with gusts up to 30 mph in central KS. Low clouds and patchy fog continue to linger in southeast KS, though the fog will likely diminish as we move towards this evening. Tonight, the surface low will move southeast towards northeast KS and into eastern MO/southern IL by Sunday morning. Given southerly surface winds will continue to advect higher dewpoints into south-central and southeast KS tonight, low clouds and fog are likely to develop. The window for fog would be brief as the surface low will push a cold front through the area, bringing colder and drier air by early Sunday morning. Northerly winds will be breezy Sunday morning, slowly diminishing from west to east as we move into Sunday afternoon and the tighter pressure gradient moves east/southeast from our area. High temperatures will be 10-15 degrees below normal with highs in the mid to upper 30s on Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday night, northwesterly flow aloft will return to our area as upper-level ridging persists over the western CONUS. A warming trend will start on Monday as close to normal temperatures return. Highs will range from the the lower 40s in southeast KS to the lower 50s in central KS. A surface low will move across ND on Tuesday afternoon as a strong upper-level shortwave moves into the Northern Plains/Upper Mississippi Valley by late Tuesday afternoon. This will increase southerly/southwesterly winds, aiding in well above normal temperatures for Tuesday. Highs will range from the upper 50s in southeast KS to the lower 60s in central KS, which is about 10-15 degrees above normal.

The northwesterly flow aloft over the Central Plains will generally persist through the upcoming work week, resulting in multiple shortwaves and clipper-like systems. Discrepancies in model guidance start to increase late in the work week, increasing uncertainty. The GFS is notably stronger with the upper-level shortwaves than the ECMWF, resulting in a stronger surface trough over the Plains. Precipitation chances will remain very low for the end of the work week with below normal temperatures likely on Friday.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1158 AM CST Sat Dec 6 2025

SCT-BKN IFR and LIFR conditions should persist at the CNU TAF site through the evening, with these conditions possibly returning to ICT during the evening. Otherwise, a cold front will surge south across the region tonight, with gusty north winds and MVFR clouds in its wake.

ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.