22 January 2024
A series of systems will sweep through the state over the next week. Timing and temperatures will be greatly important especially during the overnights while any moisture moves through the area. This could create multiple overnights/early mornings of slick conditions due to freezing rain and freezing fog in parts of Kansas.
Winter Weather Advisories are in place through 6 AM Tuesday morning as our next wave of freezing rain arrives tonight.
The next surge of moisture arrives from Oklahoma early this evening. Temperatures should warm a few more degrees allowing this to begin as rain.
As the rain tracks to the north/northeast through central and eastern Kansas, temperatures will cool enough to switch the rain over to freezing rain.
The greatest chances of this will be near and north of Highway 54 with a higher concentration of freezing rain near and north of Highway 50 into Northeast Kansas. The Turnpike could be extremely slick later tonight near Emporia and Topeka.
Farther west into western Kansas, freezing fog will become more common overnight which will also slicken up roadways. Freezing Fog Advisories are in place for a large portion of western Kansas through 10 AM Tuesday.
Dense Fog Advisories fill in the rest of western and central Kansas as low visibility is expected through tomorrow morning. Please use caution while driving overnight.
Most of this moisture should exit to the northeast well before dawn Tuesday, allowing crews time to work on the roads.
The next chance for moisture arrives out of Oklahoma late Tuesday into the evening. Initially, this also begins as rain. Temps will cool below freezing allowing freezing rain to be more common along and west of a Russell to Great Bend to Pratt line. Some snow may also mix in farther southwest into the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Rain is expected farther east but again temperatures will need to be monitored Tuesday night for any areas of freezing rain. The ground is rock hard and frozen so it will not take much to cool the surface to allow slick conditions to develop.
Any rain, freezing rain and snow exits to the northeast Wednesday. Thursday will be a break, but another system is on deck for Friday into Saturday. This looks largely rain but any moisture falling once it cools Friday night could be a concern for freezing rain and potentially light snow.
Temperatures are slowly warming out of the Arctic stretch we have faced. This week highs will be in the 30s with some 40s. The trend will be to warm as each day goes by this week.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman:
Wichita:
Tonight: Cloudy. 70% chance of rain and freezing rain. Lo: 31 Wind: S/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy. 10% chance of rain. Hi: 38 Wind: SE/NE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Mostly cloudy. 70% chance of rain and freezing rain. Lo: 34 Wind: NE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Wed: Hi: 41 Lo: 32 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of rain.
Thu: Hi: 46 Lo: 33 Mostly cloudy.
Fri: Hi: 44 Lo: 30 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of rain.
Sat: Hi: 43 Lo: 27 Mostly to partly cloudy.
Sun: Hi: 47 Lo: 29 Partly cloudy.
Mon: Hi: 50 Lo: 32 Partly cloudy.
-Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman