857 FXUS63 KICT 041134 AFDICTArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 634 AM CDT Sat Oct 4 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Dry and mild through Saturday; rain chances return Sunday night into early next week
- Below normal temperatures arrive early next week; warming trend late next week
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 236 AM CDT Sat Oct 4 2025
As of 230 AM Saturday morning, an expansive midlevel ridge remains across the eastern half of the CONUS with a deep, trough across the western states. This pattern continues to produce cyclonic midlevel flow across the High Plains with a deepening surface trough from the northern Plains through the central High Plains. An initial shortwave trough, currently across southern NV, will advance across the central Rockies later today. This will further strengthen the surface pressure gradient and the low-level wind profile. Latest short term guidance has shifted the strongest low-level wind profile slightly further west this afternoon with the strongest profiles across northwest KS. That being said, a 45-50 mph LLJ remains across portions of central KS and as boundary layer mixing deepens by mid-morning, wind gusts in excess of 40 mph are possible through midday. As the LLJ weakens/shifts westward as the day progresses, wind gusts should decrease to 25-35 mph throughout the afternoon. Again, the strongest gusts will remain across the central KS. The LLJ will once again strengthen across central/western KS tonight with speeds between 50-60 mph. Minimal boundary layer decoupling is expected, especially across central KS, and may allow for surface wind gusts in excess of 40 mph overnight.
By Sunday, the surface trough axis will extend from southwest KS into north central KS. A few thunderstorms are appearing likely Sunday afternoon and evening along the front across portions of central KS as surface convergence and midlevel divergence increases across the frontal zone. ECMWF and GFS forecast soundings reveal modest lapse rate profiles (7-8 C/km) with veering and acceleration of the vertical wind profile (30-40 kt of effective shear). As such, a strong or severe storm cannot be ruled out Sunday afternoon and evening.
The frontal zone will slowly move across the forecast area Monday into Tuesday, setting the stage for additional shower and thunderstorm chances (30-50%). Temperatures behind the front will be much cooler with highs in the 60s and 70s. Surface ridging will settle into the area by mid-week with seasonable temperatures and light winds. Midlevel ridging will build across the central/southern Plains for the second half of the week, which will likely result in a warming trends with temperatures nearing 80 degrees once again.
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.AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 629 AM CDT Sat Oct 4 2025
LLWS conditions will continue at RSL/GBD/SLN/HUT as a 45-50 kt LLJ near 1.5 kft remains overhead. These conditions will subside by mid-morning as the LLJ weakens. South winds will increase by mid-morning with gusts up to 30-35 kt with the strongest across central KS. These strong winds will persist through the end of the period across central/south-central KS as wind speeds decrease to 10-15 kt at CNU this evening. Another round of LLWS is possible across central/south-central KS after 03Z but have withheld with this issuance as surface winds will remain 20-30 kt overnight.
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.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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DISCUSSION...BRF AVIATION...BRF
NWS ICT Office Area Forecast Discussion