Meteorologist Dean Jones forecasts scattered severe storms for Saturday evening into the overnight hours. Here’s what to expect:

Storm Development Timeline

• Early Afternoon: Severe storms likely to develop over portions of Colorado between 4-5pm.
• Late Afternoon: Storms expected to quickly intensify as they enter western Kansas.
• Late Afternoon/Early Evening: Storm Prediction Center likely to issue a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.
• Evening: Initial threat includes golf ball to tennis ball-sized hail and wind gusts of 60-70 mph.
• After 7pm: Storms will organize into a convective complex and push eastward into central Kansas.
• Late Evening/Early Morning: Damaging wind threat to increase, with gusts of 70-80 mph common.
• After Midnight: Strong to severe storms to impact south-central Kansas, with highest impact between midnight and 3am.
• Towards Sunrise: Storm intensity expected to weaken as system moves into southeast Kansas.

Storm Impact and Weather Forecast

• Hail Threat: Initially, large hail expected across western Kansas, transitioning to damaging wind gusts across central Kansas overnight.
• Rainfall: Varying amounts expected, ranging from 0.25 to nearly 1 inch, with localized heavier rains from 1-2 inches.
• Temperature: Saturday to be warm with highs in the 80s for most areas, reaching mid-90s over south-central Kansas. Cooler conditions expected behind a cold front on Sunday with highs in the upper 70s.
• Week Ahead: Mild weather to continue into Monday and Tuesday with highs in the 70s and low 80s, followed by a warming trend towards the end of the week with highs in the 90s.
• Long-term Forecast: Slight chance of rain for parts of western and southern Kansas on Tuesday afternoon/evening, otherwise drier conditions expected over the next 7 days.

Wichita Area Forecast

• Today: Becoming partly cloudy and hot, with highs reaching 96°F.
• Tonight: Thunderstorms likely, especially after midnight, with lows around 66°F.
• Tomorrow: Morning showers expected, then decreasing clouds, with highs around 78°F.
• Next Week: Mild temperatures continuing into Monday and Tuesday, followed by a warming trend towards the end of the week.

Conclusion

Residents of Kansas should stay weather-aware as severe storms are expected Saturday night into Sunday morning. Stay updated with local forecasts and take necessary precautions to stay safe. For real-time updates, download The Local News App to your phone.

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