Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Dodge City, KS
Issued by NWS Dodge City, KS
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133 FXUS63 KDDC 211711 AFDDDC Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Dodge City KS 1211 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Minimal thunderstorm chances (20%) across central Kansas tonight and Saturday night. - High temperatures back off a little over the weekend, but still above the seasonal average. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1204 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 WV imagery indicates a northwest flow aloft prevailing across the Western High Plains downstream of an upper level high centered over the Four Corners Region. Near the surface, a nearly stalled frontal boundary extends from extreme southeast Colorado down into western Oklahoma. Although drier conditions are likely across much of southwest Kansas tonight, there are minimal thunderstorm chances (20%) across central Kansas even with the SREF depicting a weakening north-northwest flow aloft with the aforementioned upper level high shifting slightly east out of the Four Corners Region into the Southern Rockies. Near the surface, prevailing east-southeast upsloping will reinforce pooled moisture north of a quasi-stationary frontal boundary to our south, providing modest instability across central Kansas with MUCAPE values upward of 1000-1500 J/kg. With this setup, thunderstorm development is expected across western/central Nebraska late afternoon/early evening with storms then spreading south-southeast into northern Kansas overnight, potentially clipping our northeastern zones near the I-70 corridor. This is suggested by a few CAMs while the HREF hints at a 10 to 20% probability of 6-hr QPF exceeding 0.1 of an inch by early Saturday morning. A similar set up exists Saturday night into early Sunday morning with little change to the larger scale pattern. Temperatures are forecast to remain a little above the seasonal average tonight as prevailing east-southeast upsloping does little to modify the air mass across the region. With the HREF pointing to a 60 to 80% probability of temperatures dropping below 70F across much of the area to less than a 10% probability of slipping below 70F in south central Kansas, look for lows mainly in the 60s(F) overnight with the lower 70s(F) holding on in south central Kansas. High temperatures back off a little Saturday with prevailing easterlies drawing in slightly cooler air into western Kansas, lowering H85 temperatures down into the mid-20s(C) in central Kansas to the upper 20s(C) in extreme southwest Kansas. Expect afternoon highs generally up into the 90s(F) with the NBM painting a 50 to 70% probability of temperatures exceeding 90F in west central/central Kansas to only a 60 to 80% probability of temperatures even topping 95F in southwest Kansas into south central Kansas. Similar highs are expected Sunday. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1104 AM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 VFR conditions will prevail in vicinity of all TAF sites through early Saturday. East-southeast winds 5 to 15kt with gusts up to 20kt are forecast to persist through much of the period as high pressure remains settled across the Central Plains. && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for KSZ090. && $$ DISCUSSION...JJohnson AVIATION...JJohnson