783 FXUS63 KTOP 142239 AFDTOPArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 539 PM CDT Sun Sep 14 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Chances for thunderstorms (20-45%) continue mainly through this evening, with decreasing coverage overnight. North central KS could see a severe storm or two this afternoon and evening.
- Highest rain chances the rest of the week (50-70%) are focused on Wednesday and Wednesday night, although there is at least some chance of precipitation each day this week.
- Warm temperatures continue through Tuesday, then trend back closer to seasonal norms the rest of the week.
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 252 PM CDT Sun Sep 14 2025
Showers and thunderstorms have started to move into our western counties in north central KS this afternoon, located within a narrow moisture axis ahead of the surface trough and frontal boundary. The upper trough is becoming negatively tilted and pivoting to the northeast as it moves through the High Plains. While we still have some work to do to overcome MLCIN, we do have MUCAPE between 1000- 2000 J/kg along with 30-40 kts of effective bulk shear in the area of the storms, per SPC mesoanalysis. The best mid-level lapse rates are across the western half of the state, but are still forecast to be modest at 6-7 C/km in our area through this evening. These parameters could be enough to support a couple of severe storms in the area. The HRRR is the only one of the CAMs that really keeps the current batch of storms in central KS going as it moves into eastern KS this evening, and while this will bear monitoring, the environment further east isn`t quite as supportive as in central KS. Additional storms are expected to develop closer to the surface front in western KS early this evening, though these should weaken as they approach our area as instability weakens past sunset.
Generally speaking, CAMs are not excited about maintaining precip through the area overnight and coverage looks more isolated. As such, have lowered PoPs some for this time period. CAMs have a little better of a signal for showers and storms to develop in the morning hours Monday with lingering energy aloft from the upper wave, but still with enough variation between solutions to keep confidence low. Anything that does develop looks to move east into MO in the afternoon, but forecast soundings do show an uncapped environment, so will need to continue to monitor trends.
Most upper support looks to be well north of the area Tuesday before the next trough approaches from the Rockies. This brings the next best widespread chance for rain across the area Wednesday through Wednesday night. A frontal boundary hanging around the area as well as more apparent differences in the pattern depicted by medium-range guidance keep rain chances in the forecast each day through the end of the week. Cooler air behind that front mid-week should bring temperatures back towards seasonal normals with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s and lows in the upper 50s to low 60s.
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.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 534 PM CDT Sun Sep 14 2025
VFR conditions are favored through the TAF period. A line of thunderstorms is currently moving across central Kansas and this activity could impact the Topeka terminals within the next two hours. An additional round of showers and thunderstorms is possible overnight but confidence is too low for anything other than a prob30 mention at this time. Isolated showers or storms will remain possible across eastern Kansas tomorrow but coverage should be even less than overnight and confidence also even lower. Southerly wind will continue through the period.
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.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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DISCUSSION...Picha AVIATION...Jones
NWS TOP Office Area Forecast Discussion