Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Wichita, KS
Issued by NWS Wichita, KS
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738 FXUS63 KICT 231750 AFDICT Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 1150 AM CST Sun Nov 23 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Dense fog along and east of the Kansas Turnpike this morning. - Off-and-on showers this evening through Monday evening. Rainfall totals likely remaining under half of an inch. - A cooler air mass to settle in beginning on Tuesday, and the region`s next rain chances forecast to arrive next weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 322 AM CST Sun Nov 23 2025 Water vapor satellite imagery and 500mb upper-air analysis this morning clearly shows the much advertised vigorous shortwave trough progressing eastward across the southwestern CONUS. Closer to home, light winds, damp grounds, and mostly clear skies are supporting the development of areas of dense fog mainly along and southeast of the Kansas Turnpike this morning. Visibilities around a quarter to a half-mile are being reported at many locations. A dense fog advisory had been issued for locations along and southeast of the Kansas Turnpike, but conditions will need to be monitored for the potential of westward expansion. HREF probs of vis under 1/4 mile later this morning are around 30-50% along the I-135 corridor. Surface winds should increase subtly later this morning and will allow for fog to mix out before noon. Meanwhile, the aforementioned shortwave trough will eject into the central plains this evening, and widespread synoptic ascent will overspread the forecast area and support a swath of showers that sweeps across the area from west to east. That being said, rainfall tonight is expected to be light with many locations likely seeing totals under a tenth of an inch through Monday morning. The primary shortwave trough will push across the area midday Monday, and a second round of showers is likely (50-80%) particularly along and east of the I-135 corridor. Rainfall from this round of showers will be a tad heavier with HREF probabilities around 30-60% for totals exceeding A quarter-inch east of the Kansas Turnpike. Subsidence on the back side of this system will serve to end rain chances from west to east Monday afternoon and evening. As fairly stout surface ridge is forecast to slide southward out of northern plains and will help to tighten the pressure gradient across the forecast area which will support gusty northwest winds on Tuesday. Global model soundings continue to show a deeply mixed boundary layer with 35 to 40 knots at the top of the boundary layer Tuesday afternoon. Therefore, there is the potential for wind gusts around 40-45 mph; however, NBM probabilities only show around a 10% chance for wind gusts exceeding 40 mph Tuesday afternoon. Regardless, this will support low-level cold air advection, and a drier and cooler air mass is expected to settle in across the central plains on Tuesday and Wednesday and likely lingering through next weekend. Additionally, there is a growing signal from mid-to-long range deterministic and ensemble global models of the region`s next system arriving next weekend bringing another round of rain chances, and maybe even an outside chance of some snow? This is still about 6-7 days out, so details will need to be ironed out over the coming days. Looking beyond the forecast period (around 8-10 days out), there is a strong signal of arctic air plunging into the central portions of the CONUS. Again, this is still quite a ways out, but trends will be monitored as we approach the beginning of December. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1141 AM CST Sun Nov 23 2025 Main aviation concerns will be lowering ceilings tonight into Mon morning along with increasing rain shower chances. Morning fog finally started to burn off a couple hours ago with some still lingering over southeast KS. LIFR cigs will linger at KCNU for a couple more hours before lifting out. Upper low over the Four Corners region will continue approaching the area and will bring increased rain shower chances this evening. In addition, persistent moisture advection will bring another round of lower cigs late tonight into Mon morning, especially across southern and southeast KS. We may also see some drizzle mixed-in with the lower cigs late tonight which may lower vis to the 3sm range. At this point confidence is high we will see IFR with pockets of LIFR at KICT-KCNU-KHUT. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Dense Fog Advisory until noon CST today for KSZ070>072-094>096- 098>100. && $$ DISCUSSION...JC AVIATION...RBL