3 August 2023
We take a little bit of the heat away this afternoon thanks to the patchy clouds and showers which lingered over central Kansas during the morning. Temperatures around the state at the lunchtime hour are just a few degrees lower than they were at this time Wednesday.
Still, increasing sunshine will bring us another toasty afternoon with highs in the mid to upper 90s and low 100s, but high temperatures will wind up just a few degrees lower than yesterday.
Wichita reached their warmest temperature of the Summer on Wednesday. The official high was 107 degrees which just missed the daily record of 111 degrees set in 2011. Our average high stands at 93 degrees. The morning shower activity will dissipate and head east out of the region, but another round of storms will develop this evening, mainly to the west, strengthen into a strong complex and push east overnight mainly through the northern half of the state.
Southern Kansas could see a few showers and storms as well, reaching southwest Kansas during the evening then into the Wichita region after midnight tonight.
There is a severe thunderstorm risk for the potential of damaging wind gusts and large hail, especially across the northern half of the state with the highest risk across northwest Kansas.
The upper-level high pressure system responsible for all this heat will be retreating to the southwestern US, and that is going to provide some extended heat relief into the weekend, in addition to moving the jet stream closer to us which will greatly increase our storm chances.
Rounds of storms look likely each evening, with the best opportunities for rain in Wichita in the evenings and overnights.
A more potent disturbance develops and moves our way over the weekend, which should bring more widespread chances of storms and perhaps a higher threat for severe storms. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined a marginal risk for Friday across the northern half of Kansas with the main threats being larger hail and damaging winds.
As the potent system heads out into the Plains on Saturday, there will be an even greater risk for damaging winds, large hail and even a tornado or two, especially late in the day and at night as one or two organized thunderstorm complexes cross Kansas.
In addition to storm chances, we will see temperatures trend near and even below normal with highs in the 80s by the weekend! Hang in there and stay cool, Kansas!
8/3/23 KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Boston:
Wichita:
This afternoon: Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 100 Wind: W/SW 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 74 Wind: NE 8-18
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 98 Wind: N/SW 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 72 Wind: S/SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 94 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 87 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy.
Meteorologist Jack Boston