Wichita sets another record high on Saturday, but the cold is just ahead

Wichita set another record on Saturday, marking the third day in a row with a record high temperature.

Just before 1 p.m. on Saturday, Wichita broke the previous Dec. 27 record of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which was set on Dec. 27, 1946. The temperature continued to climb, reaching 73 degrees until starting to slightly cool down when clouds moved in later in the afternoon.

Wichita also broke a record high on Thursday and Friday, for Dec. 25 and Dec. 26, respectively.

James Cuellar, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Wichita, said three consecutive days of reaching over 70 degrees are also a December record. The weather has been tracked in Wichita since 1888.

On Saturday, Chanute, which along with Wichita is one of the four official NWS sites, also tied its Dec. 27, 1946, record high of 74 degrees.

But the warmer than usual weather won’t last long.

The warmest weather for Sunday in the Wichita area is forecast to happen early, between midnight and 2 a.m.

By Sunday evening the weather is forecast to be below freezing.

From around 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday, there are concerns for high winds: with sustained winds in the 30s and gusts reaching up to 50 mph. During that time, the area north of Wichita, starting around Hutchinson, will possibly see a “light wintry mix of light snow, drizzle and freezing drizzle,” the NWS said.

The cold weather starting Sunday is expected to drop to about 21 degrees, with a wind chill in the low single digits, when people commute to work Monday morning.

Monday is forecasted to have a high of 33 degrees; Tuesday, 46; and Wednesday, 52.

This story was originally published December 27, 2025 at 4:30 PM.