Another round of cold weather looms; flurries, freezing rain possible

Cold weather is about to return to the Wichita area – and this time the visit will last a bit longer.

A strong front will send temperatures plunging overnight Thursday into Friday, forecasters say, and could bring a mix of wintry precipitation to the region.

“Temperatures will drop pretty drastically as it moves through” the state, said Jerilyn Billings Wright, a meteorologist with the Wichita branch of the National Weather Service. “The cold temperatures are really going to stick around. It’s going to be a cold weekend.”

Thursday is shaping up to be a gray, rainy day with brisk northerly winds gusting to nearly 30 mph at times. The day’s high temperature will come in the morning, forecasters say, before beginning a gradual descent.

Highs will not get out of the mid-30s Friday and Saturday in the Wichita area, forecasters say, and Sunday likely won’t reach the 40s, either.

Rain will change to snow early Friday morning around Wichita, with freezing rain more likely in central Kansas and in the Hutchinson area.

“It doesn’t look all that heavy,” AccuWeather meteorologist Tyler Dewvall said of the moisture. “It would be most likely some flurries.”

But commuters should nonetheless be alert, Billings Wright said, especially on bridges and elevated roadways.

Temperatures more common with the heart of winter will follow the readings this week that are more common with spring and early fall.

“That’s the volatility of fall storm systems,” Billings Wright said.

This story was originally published November 19, 2013 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Another round of cold weather looms; flurries, freezing rain possible."