203  
FXUS63 KDDC 201008  
AFDDDC  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS  
508 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- HOT WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY, WITH A SLIGHT  
COOLDOWN FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND.  
 
- THERE ARE VERY SMALL CHANCES FOR T-STORMS THIS EVENING AND  
TONIGHT (LESS THAN 10% AT ANY GIVEN LOCATION).  
 
- THERE ARE SMALL CHANCES (20-30%) FOR T-STORMS FRIDAY EVENING  
AND NIGHT, ESPECIALLY ACROSS FAR WESTERN KANSAS AND ALONG  
I-70.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 1227 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN ANCHORED OVER THE SOUTHERN  
ROCKIES OVER THE NEXT WEEK. STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL MOVE  
NORTHEASTWARD, EASTWARD AND THEN SOUTHEASTWARD AROUND THE RIDGE  
INTO THE MIDWEST. ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE WESTERLIES JUST ON  
THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIDGE, MINOR DISTURBANCES ARE FORECAST TO  
MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS AND THEN SOUTHEASTWARD.  
THIS PATTERN WILL GENERALLY KEEP AN EFFECTIVE FRONTAL BOUNDARY  
SOUTH OF KANSAS, WITH A MOIST AIR MASS ACROSS CENTRAL AND PARTS  
OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS. HOWEVER, THE HIGH AMPLITUDE OF THE RIDGE  
WILL TEND TO STEER ANY COLORADO CONVECTION SOUTHWARD INSTEAD OF  
EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS. THE FRONT OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS  
WILL ATTEMPT TO NUDGE NORTHWARD INTO KANSAS FRIDAY. THEREFORE,  
EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO WARM TO THE UPPER 90S FOR FRIDAY, WITH  
100+ READINGS ALONG THE OKLAHOMA STATE LINE. AN ISOLATED  
T-STORM OR STORM CLUSTER CAN'T BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT THIS  
EVENING AND TONIGHT GIVEN THE INSTABILITY AND NORTHWESTERLY MID  
TO HIGH LEVEL FLOW. HOWEVER, THE LACK OF LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE  
WILL LIKELY INHIBIT T-STORM FORMATION.  
 
THE WARM UP WILL BE SHORT LIVED GIVEN A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH  
PROGRESSING SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE MIDWEST ON SATURDAY THAT  
WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT THROUGH KANSAS LATE FRIDAY. A FEW  
T-STORMS COULD DEVELOP ALONG THIS FRONT FRIDAY NIGHT. ON  
SATURDAY, MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW IS PREDICTED TO PUSH LOW LEVEL  
MOISTURE WESTWARD TO THE FOOTHILLS OF THE ROCKIES. T-STORMS WILL  
FORM ON THE ELEVATED TERRAIN AND SLOWLY PROPAGATE EASTWARD  
SATURDAY NIGHT. THERE ARE SMALL CHANCES (20%) OF T-STORMS,  
ESPECIALLY ACROSS FAR WESTERN KANSAS AND ALONG I-70. THIS FRONT  
WILL REMAIN ANCHORED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS INTO SUNDAY  
AND MONDAY, WITH CONTINUED MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW OVER THE CENTRAL  
HIGH PLAINS. THIS POST FRONTAL AIR MASS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES A  
LITTLE COOLER FOR THE SATURDAY TO TUESDAY TIME FRAME, WITH  
HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 90S, WITH WARMEST READINGS  
AT ELKHART AND COOLEST AT HAYS. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT ONE OF  
THOSE DAYS COULD BE HOTTER IF THE FRONT CAN MANAGE TO BRIEFLY  
PUSH BACK NORTHWARD.  
 
THE VARIOUS ENSEMBLE SYSTEMS INDICATE THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE  
REMAINING OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES NEXT WEEK; AND THIS SHOULD  
KEEP A FRONTAL ZONE ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS OR OKLAHOMA. AS A  
RESULT, THE CHANCES FOR TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT ARE LOW ACROSS  
CENTRAL KANSAS AND MUCH OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS INTO MID NEXT WEEK.  
GIVEN A FRONTAL LOCATION SOUTH OF KANSAS AND MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW,  
T-STORM CLUSTERS MOVING INTO WESTERN KANSAS FROM THE FOOTHILLS  
CAN'T BE RULED OUT FOR MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 508 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. UNCERTAINTY  
DOES EXIST WITH THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING, BUT ANY CHANCE OF THAT IS VERY LOW. HAVE LEFT OUT ANY  
MENTION OF STORMS DUE TO THE LOW CHANCE AND CONFIDENCE. WINDS  
WILL BE SOUTHEASTERLY 5-15 KNOTS.  
 
 
   
DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...FINCH  
AVIATION...BENNETT  
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