485 FXUS63 KICT 051126 AFDICTArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 626 AM CDT Fri Sep 5 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Numerous rain showers with a handful of embedded thunderstorms expected through early this evening. Severe weather or flooding unlikely.
- Temperatures 20-25 degrees below average this afternoon.
- Below average temperatures persist through early next week, with a gradual warming trend back to seasonable averages by mid-late next week.
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 253 AM CDT Fri Sep 5 2025
Currently, a deep upper trough is situated over the Great Lakes Region with a secondary surge of energy beginning to dive into the Northern Plains. At the surface, this translates to a pair of surface fronts that are bringing us progressively cooler temperatures. The frontal boundary that brought our slightly cooler temperatures yesterday is now draped across the Mississippi Valley. The next frontal boundary that will send our temperatures plummeting 20-30 degrees below normal is stretched across central Kansas at this early morning hour.
Ahead of the front early this morning, 1500-2000 J/kg of MUCAPE and 30-40 kts of effective bulk shear supported a few strong to severe thunderstorms in western Kansas. As this activity moved further eastward into a less favorable environment and the frontal boundary dove southward and undercut the storms, the severe threat waned and a generalized shower and run of the mill thunderstorm threat is expected to continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours across our area. Rainfall amounts will remain modest with most across the region receiving around 0.25 inch with localized higher amounts between 0.50-1 inch. The combination of rain, relentless cloud cover, and cold frontal passage will keep temperatures today in the lower to middle 60s areawide. These temperatures are 20-25 degrees below normal for this time of year and may threaten record cool high temperatures. Temperatures tonight, then, will fall into the upper 40s to around 50 degrees as skies clear overnight.
For the weekend, a stout surface high will be centered over the Northern Plains, extending down through our area. This feature will sustain below normal temperatures with highs in the 70s and overnight lows in the 50s to lower 60s. We can also expect dry and mostly sunny conditions through the weekend making it ideal weather to get outside.
As we move into next week, the ridge to our west will begin to build back over the region. This will lead to a gradual warming trend with highs in the lower 80s to begin the week and temperatures nearing normal in the middle to upper 80s for the middle to end of the week. We will also have a couple of opportunities for rain with the best shot currently looking like Monday/Monday night as an upper level short-wave moves across the region with corresponding 850mb WAA increasing. Additional spotty shower chances exist through the remainder of the week, but probabilities currently remain low.
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.AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 619 AM CDT Fri Sep 5 2025
VFR to MVFR conditions through the morning and afternoon hours as showers and a few embedded thunderstorms move east across the area bringing occasional lower ceilings and reduced visibility. Rain will clear out from north to south later this afternoon into the evening hours. Stout northerly winds this morning will become light and variable later this afternoon/early evening.
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.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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DISCUSSION...AMD AVIATION...AMD CLIMATE...
NWS ICT Office Area Forecast Discussion