It’s hard to beat this forecast for October’s swan song. Sunny skies and warm temperatures are expected in the Wichita area this weekend.
Forecasters say highs will reach the mid-70s today and the upper 60s on Sunday. Winds will be rather light today, alternating between single digits and the low teens out of the southwest today. Sunday will be breezier, with east winds in the teens and gusting occasionally to about 20 miles an hour.
Trick-or-treaters will have a clear, mild evening on which to roam. Highs at 7 p.m. in Wichita are projected to be about 60, with winds of about 10 miles an hour.
Reed Timmer, who appears in the Discovery Channel’s series “Storm Chaser,” was a guest on Jay Leno’s talk show Thursday night.
Timmer, a native of Michigan who now calls Norman home, talked about his storm intercept vehicle – dubbed the Dominator – and what it’s like driving the tank-like vehicle into tornadoes. There were interesting video clips, including one of large hail shattering windows in a chase vehicle, and Timmer’s enthusiasm for what he does was on clear display.
Timmer has written a book, called “Into the Storm,” about his exploits as a storm chaser. He has also been working on his PhD.
Timmer’s appearance on a prominent late-night talk show reflects how storm chasers are achieving a new level of acceptance – even notoriety – in mainstream pop culture. I hope to talk with him soon.
Here is video of Reed in action, pursuing a tornado that touched down in Manitoba, Canada. This video and the above photo from Timmer’s appearance on Leno are from the web site www.TornadoVideos.Net.
The work week concludes with a pleasant, sunny day in the Wichita metropolitan area.
Forecasters say highs should top 70, with south winds strengthening as the day unfolds. Those winds will be in the single digits early, then intensify to more than 20 miles an hour by late in the afternoon. Gusts could approach 30 miles an hour.
Overnight lows are expected to fall into the 40s, forecasters say, and then Saturday should be warmer still. Highs are projected to reach the mid-70s, and southerly winds should be lighter than today – staying in the single digits.
Areas west of I-135 can expect widespread frost early this morning, forecasters say, and patchy frost is likely in the Wichita metropolitan area thanks to overnight temperatures that dipped into the low to mid-30s.
Today should warm up nicely in the Wichita area, however, with sunny skies and highs in the low 60s. Winds will be relatively mild compared to the last few days, staying in the single digits much of the time out of the northwest.
Lows tonight are expected to slip into the 30s again, forecasters say, and Friday offers warmer temperatures and more sunshine.
Another gusty, sunny day is on tap for the Wichita area as October nears its conclusion.
Forecasters say highs should reach the mid-60s today in the Wichita metropolitan area, with abundant sunshine and northwest winds intensifying to the upper teens as the day unfolds. Gusts could approach 30 miles an hour at times.
Skies should remain clear overnight tonight, with lows bottoming out in the mid-40s. Thursday looks to be a bit cooler, with highs in the low 60s.
It’ll be distinctly cooler in the Wichita metropolitan area today, thanks to the cold front that moved through late Monday.
Highs should only reach the upper 60s today under sunny skies in Wichita, forecasters say. That’s about 10 degrees below Monday’s high, yet it’s near the average for this time of year. That, forecasters say, is a reflection of just how warm this October has been in the city.
It’ll be breezy again today, with west winds blowing steadily in the upper teens and gusting to nearly 30 miles an hour. Overnight lows will flirt with the 30s, forecasters say, and Wednesday should be sunny and windy again, with highs in the mid-60s.
For more information on current conditons, go to our weather page.
The work week opens with a warm, windy day, forecasters say, with showers moving into the area tonight.
Highs could touch 80 today in Wichita under mostly sunny skies. South winds will intensify from the teens to more than 30 miles an hour, with gusts topping 40 mph, forecasters say.
A wind advisory will be in effect from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. today for 16 counties in south-central and southeast Kansas, including the Wichita metropolitan area. The strongest winds, blowing steadily at more than 30 miles an hour, will be along and east of I-35.
“Driving will be difficult on highways such as I-35 and U.S. 400,” a statement issued by the National Weather Service reports.
Winds will remain gusty overnight, when lows are expected to fall into the mid-40s. Skies should clear early Tuesday, forecasters say, but the cold front bringing the showers will drop highs over the next couple of days into the upper 60s.
One question I wanted to ask during my last weather web chat was which form of severe weather did readers consider worse – a tornado or a hurricane?
Officials would tell you a hurricane is typically worse than a tornado from a damage standpoint, because they cover a much larger area.
When it comes to the fear factor, however, I’d think tornadoes win hands down. They are far more unpredictable in their path and longevity than a hurricane. To put it another way, hurricane watches and warnings are put out days in advance. Tornado warnings are typically measured in minutes.
