3 May 2023
The air is dry but with a return southerly flow, moisture will increase over the next day. This will greatly play into our storm chances, some of which, could be severe. Wednesday evening the focus for storm development will be to the southwest.
Storms will be isolated but capable of reaching severe thresholds for hail and high winds.
Overnight lows will be mild mainly in the 50s with a few lingering showers possible through the night.
By dawn Thursday, storms will blossom closer to the Wichita area and especially across south central Kansas. Small hail and brief gusty winds are possible.
This wave will depart during the morning, after which we warm up to the 70s and more 80s for tomorrow’s highs.
New storms will develop by evening as another disturbance moves through the upper atmosphere.
Some of these could also be strong to severe for hail and high winds with a higher concentration along and south of a line from Medicine Lodge to Wellington to Winfield to Independence. Our friends down in Oklahoma have better ingredients available for a tornado or two, but we cannot completely rule out the possibility in south-central Kansas tomorrow evening.
Storms will then concentrate near and north of the Kansas/Nebraska state line Friday. Temperatures will crank and the heat will build into the weekend.
Saturday temps near the Kansas/Oklahoma state line will push the 90s. Storms over the weekend look best in eastern Kansas, especially in the northeast part of the state over to the Kansas City Metro, come Sunday evening.
Next week also looks active with rounds of storms Monday into Monday night and again another chance Tuesday into Tuesday night. We will need to watch each of these chances for hail and high winds plus beneficial moisture for the Sunflower State.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman:
Wichita:
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 54 Wind: SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy, breezy. 40% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 76 Wind: S/SE 10-20
Tomorrow Night: Mostly to partly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 59 Wind: SE 8-18
Wichita Weekly
Fri: Hi: 83 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy to mostly sunny, breezy.
Sun: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy, breezy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 86 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy, breezy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 85 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy, breezy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 83 Lo: 57 Partly cloudy, windy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
–Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman