968
FXUS63 KICT 030919
AFDICT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
319 AM CST SAT JAN 3 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- PATCHY FOG ACROSS CENTRAL KS THIS MORNING
- WARM AND DRY PATTERN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 317 AM CST SAT JAN 3 2026
AS OF 3 AM SATURDAY MORNING, A WEAK AND COMPACT SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS
SLIDING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND NOW RESIDES NEAR THE KS/MO
BORDER. LITTLE PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH ITS PASSAGE.
OTHERWISE, THE SOUTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
REMAINS ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN KS. PATCHY FOG HAS
BEEN OBSERVED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL/WESTERN KS. MIDLEVEL CLOUD
COVER FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS LIMITING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF DENSE FOG THUS FAR. THE MIDLEVEL CLOUD COVER HAS
STARTED TO EXIT WESTERN KS WITH MORE-WIDESPREAD DENSE FOG
DEVELOPING. AS THE MIDLEVEL CLOUDS EXIT CENTRAL KS, VISIBILITIES MAY
REDUCE TO LESS THAN 1 MILE THROUGH SUNRISE. THE LATEST HREF KEEPS
THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR DENSE FOG WEST OF BARTON AND RUSSELL
COUNTIES WHERE 40-50 PERCENT PROBABILITIES RESIDE FOR VISIBILITIES
LESS THAN 1 MILE.
FOR TODAY, THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY PROGRESS EASTWARD
THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. CLOUD COVER AND PATCHY FOG WILL GRADUALLY
SCATTER INTO THE AFTERNOON, ALTHOUGH SHALLOW BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING
WILL KEEP MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA IN THE 40S TODAY. SOUTHERLY LOW-
LEVEL FLOW MAY RETURN TO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KS THIS AFTERNOON TO
ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO REACH THE LOW 50S. FOR SUNDAY AND BEYOND,
MIDLEVEL HEIGHTS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE AS A MIDLEVEL RIDGE
AMPLIFIES AND SPREADS ACROSS THE PLAINS. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL
SLIDE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS SUNDAY WITH AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE
TROUGH ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. THIS WILL PROMOTE INCREASING
SOUTHERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. THIS SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL USHER IN WARMER
TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S AND 60S SUNDAY AND WIDESPREAD
60S INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. MID TO LONG RANGE GUIDANCE CONTINUES
TO SUGGEST THE NEXT POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION ARRIVES TOWARDS
THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK AS A SOUTHWESTERN TROUGH EJECTS
INTO THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/
ISSUED AT 1131 PM CST FRI JAN 2 2026
LOW CLOUDS CONTINUE TO BE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING AND
RESULT IN MVFR CIGS ESPECIALLY AT RSL AND GBD. MODELS HAVEN'T BEEN
HANDLING CURRENT CLOUDS VERY WELL, SO DECIDED TO HOLD ICT/HUT/SLN AT
VFR THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT AND WILL AMD AS NECESSARY. ADDITIONALLY,
SHORT-TERM ENSEMBLES SUGGEST A CONTINUED POTENTIAL FOR FOG AT
RSL/GBD THROUGH ~16Z. THIS SHOULD GRADUALLY MIX OUT BY LATE MORNING,
WITH ALL SITES SEEING VFR CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS BY EARLY
AFTERNOON AND LASTING THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD.
ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
DISCUSSION...BRF
AVIATION...JWK
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