“Summer-like” heat this weekend

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Just like a light-switch Mother Nature turns on the heat and takes us from Spring to Summer in a matter of hours.

Get ready for temperatures in the 90s today and Sunday with the above normal temperatures in the forecast through most of next week. The drought remains a big influence on this abrupt changes with big swings in temperatures expected until soil moisture increases across the state. The weather pattern isn’t cooperating as a ridge of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere is parked over the central Plains and Midwest contributing to the heat and dry weather across Kansas.

Sunshine through Monday with highs in the 80s and 90s, then rain chances along with additional cloud cover starts to influence temperatures through the middle and end of next week. Highs will drop into the upper 70s and low 80s by Friday and next weekend. The heat and higher humidity towards the middle of the week will increase the instability and storms that develop between Tuesday and Friday could be strong to severe. There’s a lot of variability in our model data, however all of them are showing several weather systems moving across Kansas next week.

No matter what the form or severity, we continue to hope that every cloud or passing weather system will produce the needed moisture to alleviate the drought.

Wichita Area Forecast:

Today: Mostly sunny and much warmer. Wind: S/SW 10-20; gusty. High: 92.

Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Wind: S 15-20; gusty. Low: 63.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, warm and breezy. Wind: S 15-25; gusty. High: 93.

Tomorrow Night: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Wind: S 15-20; gusty. Low: 63.

Mon: High: 89 Mostly sunny.

Tue: High: 88 Low: 62 Partly cloudy; scattered evening and overnight storms.

Wed: High: 86 Low: 63 Mix of clouds and some sun. Breezy.

Thu: High: 85 Low: 61 Turning mostly cloudy; evening and overnight storms.

Fri: High: 80 Low: 60 Partly cloudy with more chances of scattered showers/storms.

Sat: High: 79 Low: 59 Partly cloudy.

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