494
FXUS63 KICT 022040
AFDICT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
240 PM CST FRI JAN 2 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- PATCHY FOG IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY MORNING ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTH-CENTRAL KS.
- DRY AND MILD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH POSSIBLE RAIN CHANCES RETURNING LATE NEXT
WEEK.
- BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS LIKELY ON SUNDAY MAINLY IN CENTRAL AND
SOUTH-CENTRAL KS.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 231 PM CST FRI JAN 2 2026
CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS AN UPPER-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH
MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES WITH RIDGING BUILDING INTO THE
WESTERN CONUS. IN OUR AREA, LOW STRATUS CLOUDS PERSIST IN
NORTHEASTERN KS WITH SOME OF THESE CLOUDS STARTING TO ERODE IN SOUTH-
CENTRAL KS. ADDITIONALLY, PATCHY FOG CONTINUES IN PARTS OF CENTRAL
AND EASTERN KS STRETCHING INTO AREAS OF EASTERN NE.
TONIGHT, THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS. PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM
IS EXPECTED TO STAY NORTHEAST OF OUR AREA. PATCHY FOG IS LIKELY TO
DEVELOP IN PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL LATE TONIGHT INTO
SATURDAY MORNING ESPECIALLY IF THE LOW STRATUS CLOUDS REMAIN INTO
THIS EVENING/AFTER SUNSET. CONFIDENCE IS LOW AT THIS TIME FOR DENSE
FOG IN OUR AREA AS HREF PROBABILITIES ARE BETWEEN 10-20% IN CENTRAL
KS. FOLLOWING THIS SHORTWAVE, UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING IS PROGGED TO
AMPLIFY OVER THE WESTERN CONUS, ALLOWING HEIGHTS TO RISE WITH
INCREASING TEMPERATURES IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL KS. BY LATE SATURDAY
MORNING, SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA. HIGH
TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 50S IN CENTRAL KS
TO THE UPPER 40S IN SOUTHEAST KS.
ON SUNDAY, A SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS,
INCREASING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS WILL
INCREASE SUSTAINED WINDS TO 15-20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25-30 MPH IN
CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL KS ON SUNDAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL
RETURN TO ABOVE NORMAL WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S AND LOWER 60S ON SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. THE UPPER RIDGE WILL SHIFT EAST ON SUNDAY WITH FLOW ALOFT
BECOMING MORE ZONAL EARLY NEXT WEEK. UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES
ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE WITH MOST OF THE AREA SEEING HIGHS IN THE
60S TO START NEXT WEEK. RAIN CHANCES MAY RETURN LATE NEXT WEEK TO
THE AREA, THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH AT THIS TIME.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/
ISSUED AT 1137 AM CST FRI JAN 2 2026
LOW CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY ERODE TO THE NORTHEAST THIS
AFTERNOON OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS, WITH MOST AREAS
EXPECTED TO BREAK OUT OF THE LOW CLOUDS EXCEPT FOR SALINA(WHICH
COULD REMAIN OVERCAST). AFTER SUNSET THE LOW CLOUDS LOOK TO
BEGIN REDEVELOPING AND EXPAND SLOWLY WESTWARD ONCE AGAIN, ALONG
WITH POSSIBLE DENSE FOG FORMING ON THE EDGE OF THE LOW CLOUDS.
THIS COULD IMPACT MAINLY CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS THROUGH
THE OVERNIGHT AND MORNING HOURS ON SATURDAY.
ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
DISCUSSION...GC
AVIATION...CDJ
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