210 FXUS63 KICT 041928 AFDICTArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 228 PM CDT Sat Oct 4 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Breezy winds this afternoon into tonight, with stronger gusts up to 40 mph possible in central KS after sunset.
- Rain chances arrive Sunday night and last into Tuesday.
- Below normal temperatures arrive Monday/Tuesday, then a slight warming trend to close out the week.
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 228 PM CDT Sat Oct 4 2025
Current water vapor imagery and RAP analysis early this afternoon indicate strong southwest flow aloft out ahead of a mid/upper trough centered over the Northern Intermountain. A deepening surface trough stretching from the High Plains of Colorado to the Northern Plains has allowed for a tight pressure gradient to setup over Kansas today. Strong south winds have been observed as a result of this feature this afternoon, with the strongest gusts in central and western Kansas to this point. Short-range models continue to indicate limited decoupling tonight alongside a 50-60 mph LLJ, so strong wind gusts up to 40 mph will be possible tonight into early Sunday morning primarily in central and western Kansas. Could see brief periods of gusts above 45 mph, but given uncertainty regarding the strength of any low-level inversion that manages to develop, decided against issuing a Wind Advisory at this time.
The aforementioned surface trough is progged to track to the south and east overnight. As it makes its way into portions of central Kansas late Sunday afternoon and evening, showers and storms are expected to develop amid ample surface convergence to overcome capping issues. Low-level lapse rates in the 7-8 C/km range alongside 30-40 kts of effective shear may allow for some strong to severe storms, especially with development early on. However, mid-level flow oriented largely parallel to the surface trough should shift activity towards a linear mode fairly quickly, which will make strong winds and small hail the primary threats heading into the overnight hours.
Chances for showers and storms will linger through Monday and Tuesday as the frontal zone slowly slides to the southeast. High temperatures in the 60s and low 70s are forecast behind the front, with highs in the upper 70s and 80s out ahead. Dry conditions and slightly warmer temperatures are anticipated following the departure of this system on Wednesday, with readings ranging from the middle 70s to near 80 heading into the weekend.
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.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1226 PM CDT Sat Oct 4 2025
VFR conditions are expected through this TAF period. The main concern to aviation is strong southerly winds. The strongest gusts will be up to 35 kts in central KS with gusts around 30 kts in south-central KS. These gusts will persist overnight except at CNU where winds will drop to around 10 kts after sunset. There is a potential for LLWS after 03z, but given the persistence of strong surface winds, did not include in this issuance.
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.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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DISCUSSION...JWK AVIATION...GC
NWS ICT Office Area Forecast Discussion