220
FXUS63 KICT 250538
AFDICT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1138 PM CST SAT JAN 24 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ACCUMULATING SNOW CONTINUES AREA WIDE THROUGH TONIGHT AND INTO
SUNDAY
- BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES CONTINUE WITH WIND CHILL VALUES OF
10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO
- MODERATING TEMPERATURES TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 210 PM CST SAT JAN 24 2026
AS OF 2 PM SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BROAD MIDLEVEL WAA CONTINUES TO
PRODUCE WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE
STATE. A MORE-PERSISTANT BAND HAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED ACROSS PORTIONS
OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL KS. WEBCAMS AND OBSERVATIONS SITES HAVE
REVEALED VISIBILITIES LESS THAN 1 MILE WITHIN THESE BAND OF SNOW
WHICH ARE LIKELY PRODUCING SNOWFALL RATES AS HIGH AS 1" PER HOUR.
THIS WAA DRIVEN SNOWFALL IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE INTO EVENING HOURS
BEFORE THIS AXIS OF WAA SHIFTS EAST OF THE AREA. INCREASING MIDLEVEL
JET DYNAMICS AND THE APPROACH OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH (CURRENTLY NEAR
THE BAJA) WILL INCREASE MIDLEVEL FORCING FOR ASCENT AND ALLOW FOR
ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SHORT RANGE GUIDANCE
HAS SHIFTED SLIGHTLY FURTHER NORTH WITH THE QPF AXIS WITH THE
HIGHEST AMOUNTS EXPECTED ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE KS TURNPIKE.
ADDITIONAL QPF IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 0.1-0.2" ACROSS CENTRAL KS
TO 0.3-0.5" ACROSS SOUTHEAST KS. SNOW RATIOS NEAR 15:1 SHOULD ALLOW
FOR ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS UP TO 6" WITH THE GREATEST
ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST KS. THIS ADDITIONAL
SNOWFALL COMBINED TO THE SNOWFALL ALREADY FALLEN WILL PRODUCE
WIDESPREAD TOTALS OF 5-10". SNOWFALL WILL COME TO AN END FROM WEST
TO EAST DURING THE MORNING HOURS OF SUNDAY.
THE STRETCH OF BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT
AS LOWS TUMBLE INTO NEGATIVE SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS CENTRAL KS AND
INTO THE POSITIVE SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEAST KS.
FACTORING IN A GENTLE NORTH WINDS WILL CREATE WIND CHILL VALUES OF -
10 TO -20. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SLIGHTLY SUNDAY WITH HIGHS
REACHING THE TEENS. TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO WILL BE COMMON ACROSS
THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. AGAIN, A GENTLE NORTH
WIND WILL CREATE WIND CHILL VALUES OF -10 TO -20.
TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO MODERATE TOWARDS MIDWEEK AS MIDLEVEL
RIDGING APPROACHES THE PLAINS. HIGHS ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST TO
RETURN TO THE 30S/NEAR 40 WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/
ISSUED AT 1125 PM CST SAT JAN 24 2026
SNOW HAS MOVED OUT OF CENTRAL KS WITH CIGS RETURNING TO VFR AT RSL,
SLN, AND GBD. LIGHT SNOW CONTINUES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL KS, WITH
CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE AND RETURN TO VFR BETWEEN
10-12Z. CNU WILL BE THE LAST TO RETURN TO VFR WITH SNOW EXPECTED
TO END AROUND 15Z. NORTHERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THIS PERIOD AROUND 10 KTS.
ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST MONDAY FOR KSZ032-033-
047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON CST SUNDAY FOR KSZ049>053-
067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100.
DISCUSSION...BRF
AVIATION...GC
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