779
FXUS63 KICT 301749
AFDICT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1149 AM CST FRI JAN 30 2026
..UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES
- SNOW SHOWERS/SNOW SQUALLS THIS AFTERNOON BEHIND THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE.
- MUCH COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN LATER TODAY WITH DANGEROUS WIND
CHILLS FOR SATURDAY MORNING.
- WARMING TREND BEGINS SUNDAY WITH SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS
RETURNING NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 223 AM CST FRI JAN 30 2026
CURRENTLY, A DEEP UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IS SITUATED OVER THE GREAT
LAKES REGION LEADING TO NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE CENTRAL
PLAINS. THIS TROUGH PLACEMENT AND NORTHWESTERLY FLOW HAS ALLOWED
MORE MILD TEMPERATURES THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. AT THE SURFACE, A
PRONOUNCED HIGH PRESSURE SITS OVER THE CANADIAN PLAINS WITH A
STATIONARY BOUNDARY DRAPED ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. THE UPPER-LEVEL
TROUGH WILL SWING ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THROUGH THE DAY
TODAY PUSHING THE SURFACE FRONT, AND ARCTIC AIR, FURTHER SOUTH
ACROSS THE SUNFLOWER STATE. JUST BEHIND THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON,
STEEP LOW-LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND SUFFICIENT MOISTURE WILL SUPPORT A
BRIEF WINDOW OF SNOW SHOWERS FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS.
MINIMAL IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS ACTIVITY BUT LOCATIONS WEST
OF THE TURNPIKE COULD SEE ANYWHERE BETWEEN A TRACE AND 0.50 INCH OF
SNOWFALL. THEN, AS THE SURFACE HIGH DIVES SOUTH AND SETTLES OVER THE
CENTRAL PLAINS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT, TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET TO
BETWEEN ZERO TO -5 DEGREES BY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. A COLD WEATHER
ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SATURDAY MORNING AREAWIDE AS WIND
CHILLS BETWEEN 10-15 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED.
FOR SATURDAY, TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN THE UPPER TEENS TO LOWER
20S UNDER THE COLD, ARCTIC HIGH. IN THE UPPER-LEVELS, ANOTHER WEAK
PERTURBATION WILL DIP ACROSS THE PLAINS ON SATURDAY. THIS WILL
SUPPORT ANOTHER QUICK SHOT AT SOME SNOW FLURRIES DURING THE
AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS MAINLY ACROSS OUR CENTRAL KANSAS COUNTIES.
RIDGING WILL ACTUALLY START BUILDING INTO THE REGION OVERNIGHT
SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING, SO OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES WILL
ONLY FALL INTO THE MIDDLE TO LOWER TEENS. AS THE RIDGE CONTINUES TO
BUILD INTO THE REGION ON SUNDAY, A DRAMATIC WARMUP IS EXPECTED UNDER
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. HIGHS WILL TOP OUT IN THE 40S FOR LOCATIONS THAT
STILL HAVE A SNOWPACK IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS, AND
TEMPERATURES WILL APPROACH 50 DEGREES IN CENTRAL KANSAS.
FOR THE WORK WEEK, A MUCH MORE MILD PATTERN IS ON TAP WITH UPPER-
LEVEL RIDGING GENERALLY DOMINATING THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE
COUNTRY. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON MON/TUE WILL REACH INTO THE 40S TO
AROUND 50 DEGREES IN CENTRAL KANSAS. AHEAD OF THE NEXT TROUGH, AS
THE SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ON TUESDAY, A FEW
SPOTTY SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS DURING THE
AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING HOURS. MINIMAL IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS
TIME AND THIS ACTIVITY WILL QUICKLY SHIFT EAST AS THE DRY, POST-
FRONTAL AIR FILTERS INTO THE AREA ON TUESDAY NIGHT. THE WEAK TROUGH
WILL THEN SWING ACROSS THE PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY, SETTLING THE COOLER
AIR OVER THE REGION. HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY WILL TOP OUT JUST BELOW
NORMAL IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 40S. BUT AS A STOUT RIDGE BUILDS IN
FOR THE END OF THE WEEK, WE COULD SEE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES
ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA ONCE AGAIN WITH WIDESPREAD 50S
AREAWIDE.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/
ISSUED AT 1145 AM CST FRI JAN 30 2026
A 2-4 HOUR PERIOD OF SNOW FLURRIES WILL MOVE SOUTH ACROSS
NORTHERN, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHERN KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON, AS AN
ARCTIC COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH THROUGH MID-AMERICA. PATCHY 2-4SM
VISIBILITIES WITHIN LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED, ALONG WITH
WIDESPREAD LOW VFR AND MVFR CEILINGS. ACCUMULATIONS MAY REACH A
FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH FOR SOME LOCATIONS, ESPECIALLY OVER
CENTRAL AND NORTH-CENTRAL KANSAS. ADDITIONALLY, BREEZY/GUSTY
NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON IN WAKE OF
THE COLD FRONT, PERSISTING INTO THE EVENING.
ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM CST
SATURDAY FOR KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-
098>100.
DISCUSSION...AMD
AVIATION...ADK
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