070  
FXUS63 KDDC 221651  
AFDDDC  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS  
1151 AM CDT THU OCT 22 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- WARMING TREND CONTINUES TODAY AS AFTERNOON HIGHS REACH THE  
UPPER 70S/LOW 80S AMIDST GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS.  
 
- STRONGER SOUTHERLY WINDS DAYTIME FRIDAY, SUSTAINED IN THE  
20-30 MPH RANGE, BUT SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES.  
 
- WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND INTO  
EARLY NEXT BUSINESS WEEK, WITH 0.5-2" OF RAINFALL POSSIBLE  
ALONG WITH MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 1145 PM CDT WED OCT 21 2026  
 
WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY AND RAP UPPER AIR ANALYSIS LATE  
WEDNESDAY EVENING REVEAL A HIGHLY AMPLIFIED SYNOPTIC PATTERN IS IN  
PLACE ATOP THE CONUS, WITH RIDGING EXTENDING FROM THE SOUTHERN  
PLAINS NORTHWARD THROUGH SOUTH-CENTRAL CANADA, AND A POWERFUL CUT-  
OFF LOW JUST OFF THE WEST COAST. AT THE SURFACE, BROAD HIGH PRESSURE  
OVERSPREADS NEARLY THE ENTIRE CONUS EAST OF THE ROCKIES, SUPPORTING  
LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS ACROSS SOUTHWEST KS. THROUGH THE REMAINDER  
OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD, LIGHT WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES WILL AID IN  
THURSDAY MORNING LOWS DROPPING INTO THE UPPER 40S TO LOW 50S.  
DAYTIME THURSDAY, SHORT RANGE GUIDANCE INDICATES THE AFOREMENTIONED  
SYNOPTIC FEATURES WILL SLOWLY SHIFT EASTWARD, WITH THE CORE OF THE  
UPPER TROUGH APPROACHING THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST BY 00Z FRIDAY. IN  
RESPONSE, LEE CYCLOGENESIS WILL BEGIN IN EASTERN MT AND ADJACENT  
AREAS, WHICH WILL TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE CENTRAL  
PLAINS TO RESULT IN SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASING INTO THE 15-25 MPH  
RANGE GUSTING TO 35 MPH. ADDITIONALLY, 850-MB TEMPERATURES WILL WARM  
BY 2-4 DEGREES C, WHICH WILL TRANSLATE TO AFTERNOON HIGHS RISING  
WELL ABOVE NORMAL INTO THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S. OVERNIGHT THURSDAY,  
SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED, FOSTERING WEAKER RADIATIONAL  
COOLING AND FRIDAY MORNING LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S.  
 
DAYTIME FRIDAY, SHORT RANGE ENSEMBLES AGREE THE DEEP UPPER WAVE WILL  
CONTINUE TO ADVANCE EASTWARD TOWARDS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. AS DPVA  
INCREASES OVER THE HIGH PLAINS, THE LEE CYCLONE WILL DEEPEN TO SUB-  
1000-MB, ENGENDERING STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ACROSS SOUTHWEST KS. AT  
THEIR PEAK DURING THE LATE MORNING THROUGH MID-AFTERNOON, WINDS WILL  
BE SUSTAINED IN THE 20-30 MPH RANGE GUSTING TO 40-45 MPH. ON THE  
OTHER HAND, TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO COOL AS DECREASING 500-MB  
HEIGHTS BRINGS AFTERNOON HIGHS DOWN INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S.  
 
SATURDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD, MEDIUM RANGE ENSEMBLES  
SUGGEST THE STRONG UPPER TROUGH WILL STALL OUT OVER THE CENTRAL  
ROCKIES DURING THE WEEKEND BEFORE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIVING  
SOUTHEAST FROM SOUTH-CENTRAL CANADA FINALLY KICKS IT OUT ONTO THE  
HIGH PLAINS EARLY NEXT BUSINESS WEEK. THIS SYNOPTIC EVOLUTION IS  
IDEAL FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS OUR AREA, WITH RAINFALL  
EXPECTED TO BEGIN ACROSS OUR WESTERN ZONES SATURDAY, BECOME MORE  
WIDESPREAD DAYTIME SUNDAY, THEN EXITING STAGE RIGHT ON MONDAY. ONCE  
ALL IS SAID AND DONE EARLY TUESDAY, BOTH THE ECMWF ENS AND GEFS MEAN  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FIELDS SHOW 0.5-1" OF RAINFALL ROUGHLY ALONG AND  
EAST OF A HAYS-MEADE LINE, AND 1-2" TO THE WEST. TEMPERATURES WILL  
ALSO FALL CONSIDERABLY DURING THIS TIME FRAME, WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS  
IN THE MID 70S ON SATURDAY DROPPING INTO THE UPPER 50S/LOW 60S  
MONDAY AND TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1151 AM CDT THU OCT 22 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. A SOUTH WIND OF  
15-20 KTS AND GUSTS UP TO 25 KTS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THIS PERIOD OF  
CALM WEATHER WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND HIGH CEILINGS UNDER A HIGH  
PRESSURE REGIME.  
 
 
   
DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...SPRINGER  
AVIATION...KBJ  
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