The wind is wilder today. Gusts from 40-55 MPH will be common with higher gusts above 60 MPH.
Wind alerts are posted to account for the areas where the strongest winds will occur. Winds will not drop until we are in the cooler side of the incoming cold front Wednesday night.
The threat for wildfires remains high with Fire Weather Warnings posted to the north and west through this evening.
Our strong southerly flow is ushering moisture our way that will help feed a storm system starting tonight. This influx of moisture will help to offset the fire threat father south and east, but we all still need to be cautious to not start any grassfires.
There is a Marginal Risk for a stronger storm or two by dawn. Â
Showers begin to fester to the northwest before midnight.
As the overnight continues, more activity will blossom over Central Kansas but should largely stay benign until ample heating on Wednesday.
Just before noon on Wednesday, stronger storms will fire over Northcentral Kansas. Storms will then build south along this line.
Initially, large hail is the concern, but this should evolve into a linear structure which is more conducive to damaging winds. It will not take much to transport 60-70 MPH winds to the surface.
This line of storms will track east through the evening before departing. Â There is a tornado risk closer to the track of the surface low that will need to be monitored just east of Wichita between 6-8 PM Wednesday. Â
The window is short for this to happen, and a lot must come together for a tornado to form. Please be weather aware and monitor thunderstorm development Wednesday afternoon through the early evening. Â
Temperatures cool behind the front and winds will relax. It will get cold enough for a freeze to the northwest on Halloween morning. Freeze Watches are in place through 9 AM on Thursday.
Trick-or-treaters will start with temps in the 50s and then cool to the mid and upper 40s to round out the evening. Prepare for another layer deeper into the evening under a starry sky.
More active and wet weather is on the horizon. Â We will enter a wet stretch starting Friday night. This will come in waves this weekend and extend into next Monday and Tuesday. Â
Highest rainfall potential looks to be over Central and Eastern Kansas with the most over the southeastern portion of the state.
Another piece of energy next Wednesday into Thursday could also bring another shot of moisture. Timing, track and temps need to be monitored. If moisture can fall at the right time of day, we may see a touch of snow near the Colorado state line the middle of next week.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman:
Wichita:
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, windy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: S 15-30
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy, windy. 80% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 75 Wind: S 10-25
Tomorrow Night: Mostly to partly cloudy, breezy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 42 Wind: S/NW 10-20
Wichita Weekly
Thu: Hi: 61 Lo: 40 Mostly sunny.
Fri: Hi: 67 Lo: 53 Partly to mostly cloudy, breezy. 10% chance of showers.
Sat: Hi: 65 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy, breezy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 70 Lo: 56 Mostly cloudy, breezy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 67 Lo: 46 Mostly cloudy, breezy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 60 Lo: 38 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
-Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman
