27 February 2024
A wild day of weather is here! The intense cold front will drop South into this evening. Snow has started to form behind it in a narrow, but intense band.
This keeps trucking east/southeast the rest of today. Some rain showers will also blossom, but any moisture for the majority will be slim. Those who gain a rain or snow shower into early tonight are the lucky ones.
We will be faced with rather intense winds as this colder air takes root. We are on wildfire watch with counties across southern Kansas into Oklahoma under a Fire Weather Warning.
Conditions are ripe, and just like we saw yesterday, any fire could grow quickly and be hard to contain with the gusty nature of the winds from 35 to more than 45 MPH. Some gusts to the southwest near the Oklahoma Panhandle could exceed 50 MPH.
Wind Advisories are in effect through part of the overnight. Temperatures will tank once the frontal passage occurs.
Areas ahead of the boundary hit record highs today. Wichita broke the previous record of 78 degrees set in 1976.
Once the colder air hits, wind chills in the single digits and teens will be spread throughout Kansas.
Any rain/snow showers depart early tonight with clouds breaking.
Temps to start Wednesday will be in the teens and twenties.
Winds will relax by midday Wednesday with a cooler afternoon in the 40s. A few 50s are possible near the Oklahoma state line.
There is a piece of energy coming up out of Oklahoma that could create a small area of rain/snow in the Oklahoma Panhandle on Thursday. As this tracks northeast into central and eastern Kansas, it will warm enough for spotty rain before waning.
Clouds and this moisture could cost us several degrees during our peak heating hours and could keep temps in the 40s and 50s for highs whereas points farther northwest will be warmer since this area will not be influenced by this weak disturbance. Winds will pick up Thursday creating elevated fire concerns.
Temperatures warm Friday in the 60s and return to the 70s this weekend. Winds will be lighter Saturday but pick up in intensity Sunday. Sunday will be another high fire danger day.
Toward evening, a cold front will enter Kansas. This could spark a few showers and thunderstorms East of I-135 and maybe a touch of snow to the northwest. Lots to be ironed out as we get closer to the end of the weekend.
We will cool to more seasonable levels behind this front into next week.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman:
Wichita:
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy, windy. 10% chance of rain and snow. Lo: 22 Wind: N/NW 15-30
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy to sunny, breezy. Hi: 47 Wind: NW/S 10-20
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. Lo: 27 Wind: S 8-18
Wichita Weekly
Thu: Hi: 53 Lo: 35 Partly to mostly cloudy, windy. 20% chance of rain.
Fri: Hi: 64 Lo: 45 Partly cloudy to sunny, breezy.
Sat: Hi: 77 Lo: 54 Mostly sunny, windy.
Sun: Hi: 78 Lo: 41 Partly cloudy, windy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 56 Lo: 34 Mostly to partly cloudy, breezy.
Tue: Hi: 60 Lo: 35 Partly cloudy, breezy.
-Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman