Snow is likely to fall in Wichita this week. Halloween should be clear, but cold

Wichitans can expect a little snow in the days leading up to Halloween, but the holiday itself should be clear.

The National Weather Service forecast for the city predicts a chance of snow for each of the days leading up to the holiday, though any accumulation is expected to be less than an inch.

“With how warm the ground is, that might be how much it is when we measure it, but it probably won’t stay on the ground that long,” said NWS meteorologist Vanessa Pearce.

Monday night has a 30 percent chance for precipitation with a rain and snow mix. Tuesday night has a 60 percent chance for precipitation, which is expected to be mostly rain with a little snow mixed in.

Snow accumulation is most likely on Wednesday. The weather service forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of precipitation starting with rain and snow before 8 a.m., then rain, then freezing rain and snow after 5 p.m.

Thursday is expected to be clear, but cold. The high will be near 38 degrees with a low that night around 23 degrees. Pearce said temperatures will be right around freezing that evening as children head out to trick-or-treat on Halloween.

The forecast was current as of Monday afternoon and was based at the NWS office at Eisenhower National Airport in west Wichita.

Pearce said some uncertainty remains in the predictions, and the amount of snowfall depends in part on atmospheric and surface temperatures. Regardless, drivers should prepare for weather impacting their travels.

“With that mix of precipitation and that potential for freezing rain, you can get some slick spots on elevated and untreated surfaces,” Pearce said.

If there were half an inch of snow on Wednesday, it would be enough to break a 114-year-old record. The most recorded snowfall on Oct. 30 was 0.3 inches in 1905, according to NWS records.

As for the rest of the NWS Wichita office’s service area, the greatest chance for measurable snow is generally north of U.S. 50 highway, which runs through Hutchinson and Newton.

This story was originally published October 28, 2019 at 5:44 PM.