25 February 2023
The cold air will finally loosen its grip over Kansas today with a warming trend taking hold, but Wichita is expected to keep clouds around through much of the day. Chilly but not so cold highs are expected during the afternoon.
The clouds will prevent us from seeing quite as much warming here compared to western portions of the state.
South winds will be light today but gradually become stronger through the night. With warm air blowing in on that wind overnight, temperatures will not dip below freezing tomorrow morning as Wichita hits a low around 35 degrees. A few light showers may be around the area tomorrow morning, but impactful precipitation is not expected to begin until the afternoon.
Highs reach the 60s and 70s all across the state tomorrow. Wichita will again be more cloudy and therefore temperatures won’t get quite as warm as western areas, where some 70s will be possible before thunderstorms develop.
A line of intense thunderstorms will develop along the dry line tomorrow in west-central Kansas and down into the Panhandles. These storms may start isolated enough to pose a brief hail/tornado threat, but the expectation is that storms will congeal into a line and the primary threat will therefore become damaging straight-line winds. Spin up tornadoes might be possible along the line, especially further south where storms will be better organized. Storms develop out west around 3-5pm and race east, arriving in Wichita after 9pm.
The Storm Prediction Center has maintained the highest threat levels in the Enhanced Risk to our south in Oklahoma, though a substantial threat of severe weather is still expected over most of our viewing area in the Slight Risk.
Rain will be more hit and miss out west, but widespread totals in the ½” to ¾”, with isolated spots picking up an inch possible around Wichita. Temperatures will stay mild into the work week with mid 60s Monday, trailing downward later in the week as another system approaches the area.
2/25/23 KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. Hi: 43 Wind: S 10-20
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. 10% chance of rain. Lo: 35 Wind: S 8-18
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy, windy. 30% chance of thunderstorms. Hi: 61 Wind: S/SW 15-30
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy, windy. 90% chance of thunderstorms. Lo: 44 Wind: SW/NW 10-25
Wichita Weekly
Mon: Hi: 64 Lo: 35 Mostly Sunny, windy, 10% chance of showers and storms
Tue: Hi: 62 Lo: 34 Mostly Sunny, breezy.
Wed: Hi: 57 Lo: 32. Partly Cloudy, breezy.
Thu: Hi: 48 Lo: 27. Mostly Cloudy, windy.
Fri: Hi :54. Lo: 30. Partly Cloudy, breezy.