Protect your plants: Hard freeze forecast for Wichita tonight
The National Weather Service in Wichita has declared a freeze warning for Tuesday night.
The “hard freeze” will go into effect at 10 p.m. and will last until 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to an NWS weather alert.
The warning comes as temperatures in Wichita and surrounding areas are forecast to drop into the low 20s. Wichita is looking at a drop to as low as 23 with surrounding Kingman, Harper, Sumner and Cowley counties anywhere between 18 and 26 degrees, a NWS weather map shows.
Residents are advised to not leave pets or movable plants outside.
“Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected plumbing,” the freeze warning alert said.
Looking ahead things will warm back up later in the week with Thursday and Friday temps sitting in the 70s and 80s. A mix of gusty winds, above average temps and dry conditions could pose fire concerns, meteorologist James Cuellar said.
Above-average temps in the mid- to upper 80s are forecast going into the weekend. Temperatures around this time of year usually hover in the upper 60s, Cuellar said.
“The temperatures mixed with the dead vegetation and very little moisture are ample fuel for fires to form,” Cuellar said.
Areas affected include central, south central and southeast Kansas.