Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Topeka, KS

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418 FXUS63 KTOP 130524 AFDTOP Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 1224 AM CDT Thu Jun 13 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Hot and humid Thursday with afternoon heat indices of 102-108 degrees. A Heat Advisory has been issued from noon-8pm. - Isolated to scattered storms Thursday late afternoon into the evening. These storms could be severe with large hail and damaging wind gusts being the main hazards. - Above-normal temperatures continue into early next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 321 PM CDT Wed Jun 12 2024 This afternoon, a shortwave is advancing east across the Upper Midwest with mid-level ridging over the Desert Southwest. Gusty south-southwest winds and plentiful sunshine have boosted temperatures into the 90s across the area. Surface winds of 5-10mph overnight will keep lows in the low 70s. The mid-level ridge builds northeast on Thursday with 850mb temperatures warming to 24-27 degrees C. Breezy southwest winds allow for good mixing and will create the hottest day of the season so far with highs in the low 100s across central Kansas and in the mid 90s across far eastern Kansas. Along with these hot temperatures, dewpoints in the mid 60s to low 70s will lead to heat indices of 102-108 degrees during the afternoon. Some uncertainty remains in how high heat indices will reach as deeper mixing would lead to hotter ambient temperatures, but also lower dewpoints. Even so, confidence is high that heat indices of 102-108 degrees will be common across the area and Heat Advisory has been issued from noon to 8pm Thursday. A wave of energy pushing east-southeast across the Great Lakes will shunt a cold front into northeast Kansas during the late afternoon and evening hours Thursday. The hot and humid airmass will feature 4000-5000 J/kg of MUCAPE along with 30-40kts of effective shear, supportive of severe thunderstorms. The main uncertainty is in the coverage of storms given a lack of large- scale ascent. Convergence along the front is expected to be enough to support isolated to scattered storms to develop during the late afternoon and evening (best chances in the 5-9pm timeframe). Any storm that develops will quickly become severe with inverted-V soundings supporting severe wind gusts of 60-70mph along with large hail up to golf-ball size. There is a chance that a modest cap and insufficient convergence along the front could preclude convective development altogether. The front pushes through the area by early Friday before lifting back north as a warm front on Friday as a shortwave trough approaches the Plains. Convection that develops during the evening across western and central Kansas will be shunted east by the ejecting trough and bring storms into the area during the evening into the overnight hours. The environment could support severe storms with large hail and damaging wind gusts with this round, but details remain uncertain at this point. The trough is slow to progress through the region and is progged to still be working its way east on Saturday, bringing another chance of storms to the area. Mainly dry conditions are expected Sunday and Monday before the next wave and front approach the area Tuesday. Highs will generally be in the low to mid 90s Friday into next week. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/...
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Issued at 1224 AM CDT Thu Jun 13 2024 VFR conditions are expected for much of the period. A frontal boundary will approach the terminals and move through MHK around 00Z and at TOP and FOE by 03Z. Isolated TSRA is possible near the front and have added VCTS for now. Winds southerly to start the period will become southwest around 12kts with gusts to 22kts, then decrease and back to the south at TOP and FOE. WInds shift in the 00Z to 03Z time period at the terminals.
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&& .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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Heat Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 8 PM CDT this evening for KSZ008-KSZ009-KSZ010-KSZ011-KSZ012-KSZ020-KSZ021- KSZ022-KSZ023-KSZ024-KSZ026-KSZ034-KSZ035-KSZ036-KSZ037-KSZ038- KSZ039-KSZ040-KSZ054-KSZ055-KSZ056-KSZ058-KSZ059.
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&& $$ DISCUSSION...Flanagan AVIATION...53