1 April 2024
Storms are tracking through southeastern Kansas this evening as a cold front collides with the warm, moist air mass over the region.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for our southeasternmost counties through 9 PM tonight.
A Tornado Watch has been issued for Kay County, OK, until the same time.
Southerly flow across Southeastern Kansas has created the perfect environment for storms to bloom this afternoon. This is where temperatures are the warmest and the most moisture is available for any storm that forms to feed off of and quickly grow in intensity.
Areas along and southeast of the turnpike can expect isolated storms to flare up this afternoon as the cold front tracks east. Storms will form ahead and along this boundary, starting out as isolated supercells before organizing into a linear formation and marching east.
Large hail up to the size of baseballs and damaging wind gusts will be the primary concerns, but we cannot rule out the possibility of a few tornadoes.
Our window for severe weather will close quickly as storms track out of our viewing area, but rain and thunder will linger across the state in the evening and overnight.
Widespread moisture will bring a healthy dosing of rainfall to parts of the state. Those south of I-70 will win the rain lottery, with most picking up anywhere from a tenth to over half an inch of rain by tomorrow morning.
Temperatures will fall as cold, northern air rushes in behind the passing system. This could lead to a narrow band of snowfall across southwest Kansas through the overnight.
Accumulations will be possible on grassy and elevated surfaces. But any snow that sticks will quickly melt by the afternoon.
Temperatures will quickly rebound under sunny skies, with highs on Tuesday in the 50s.
We will continue to see highs trend upward through the week, reaching back above the seasonal norm by the weekend. Fire weather concerns will increase for the second half of the workweek as warm and windy conditions dominate.
Our next round of moisture looms for late in the week. An approaching boundary will result in a few showers late Saturday into Sunday. Temperatures will return to near average for the start of the following week.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Lucy Doll:
Wichita:
Tonight: Cloudy, windy. 70% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 38 Wind: NW 10-25
Tomorrow: Mostly to partly cloudy, windy. 20% chance of showers. Hi: 55 Wind: NW 15-25
Tomorrow Night: Mostly clear. Lo: 36 Wind: NW 10-20
Wichita Weekly
Wed: Hi: 63 Lo: 34 Mostly sunny.
Thu: Hi: 65 Lo: 39 Mostly sunny.
Fri: Hi: 72 Lo: 48 Mostly sunny to partly cloudy, breezy.
Sat: Hi: 75 Lo: 48 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 73 Lo: 45 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 69 Lo: 45 Partly cloudy.
-Meteorologist Lucy Doll