


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Topeka, KS
Issued by NWS Topeka, KS
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235 FXUS63 KTOP 290533 AFDTOP Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 1233 AM CDT Sun Jun 29 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Very small chance (10-15%) for pop up shower/storm this afternoon. - Scattered storms develop early Sunday morning with increased chances for storms by the late afternoon and evening hours Sunday. Storms in the late afternoon/evening could be strong with damaging winds, locally heavy rainfall and small hail as the main threats. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 257 PM CDT Sat Jun 28 2025 Muggy, hot conditions have once again set up across the region this afternoon with temperatures this afternoon creeping into the upper 80s and low 90s. Lingering stratus across east-central KS has kept temperatures from climbing very quickly and should see temperatures top out in the mid to upper 80s. Synoptic features have not changed much across the region with weak waves noted over Nebraska and Missouri, and stronger zonal flow across the northern Plains with weak ridging over the southern Plains. For the remainder of the afternoon, scattered cu should continue to persist across the area as we become uncapped. Cannot rule out a storm or two developing along an area of mesoscale convergence, but overall forcing for deep convection remains very weak and limited. Satellite observations of the scattering morning stratus also shows very flat characteristics, indicating some stability still residing over parts of eastern KS. If a storm can develop, it should stay sub-severe but cannot rule out some very heavy rainfall and gusty winds. Overnight tonight and into Sunday morning, low-level response from a deepening lee cyclone in the high Plains should increase isentropic ascent over eastern Kansas. While model soundings depict a fairly dry mixed later above the decoupled BL, lift could become strong enough to force parcels high enough to tap into elevated instability early Sunday morning. The best forcing seems to remain along the nose of the LLJ and sets up across east-central KS by 3-7 AM Sunday. Kept 20-30 PoPs to account for scattered showers and thunderstorms. Better chances for strong to severe convection will come later in the afternoon and evening as a surface trough axis slides south and east into the area, becoming a focal point for storm development. Given the very moist airmass in place and high temperatures expected to climb into the mid 90s, CAMs depict extreme levels of CAPE values setting up in the warm sector by the afternoon. Cannot rule out seeing CAPE values in excess of 4000 J/kg by the afternoon, but some lingering cloud cover from morning convection may limit these values a touch. Either way, an advancing wave out of Nebraska will help to steepen ML lapse rates a bit and should keep elevated CAPE values very large. By the late afternoon and early evening, eroding CIN across the area and convergence within the surface trough should begin to generate convection; likely stretching from southwest Kansas towards north-central and northeast Kansas. That said, better ML forcing associated with the wave should reside across northeastern KS/southeast NE, so expecting more coverage of storms to stay closer to this area. As the surface trough dives south during the evening, a strengthening LLJ, increasing deep shear within the mid-level wave, and a theta-e gradient across eastern Kansas will support MCS development. This should keep the main storm hazards to damaging winds and locally heavy rainfall, but cannot rule out some small hail as well. The anticipated MCS should dive south/southeast following the theata-e and instability gradient overnight with lingering stratiform rain lingering into early Monday morning. By Monday and into mid next week, a slightly cooler air mass sets up across the area with highs topping out in the mid to upper 80s. Afternoon conditions should feel a bit more tolerable as humidities will be lower than what we have see the last week or so. Heat does appear to build back in as we approach Independence day with mid level heights increasing across the Plains and southerly flow advecting in warm and moist air once again. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1229 AM CDT Sun Jun 29 2025 Isentropic lift, with a strengthening low-level jet may lead to elevated storms over eastern KS between 09Z and 15Z. Brief MVFR CIGs are possible with any storms that develop this morning. There should be a break in thunderstorm activity before additional storm development is possible later in the afternoon. There are mixed signals in the short-term models with respect to storm evolution for the last half of the TAF period. With such low confidence in the forecast, will keep only a prob30 mention for now. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Griesemer AVIATION...Jones