Wichita sees a second consecutive day of record heat — with potential for one more

Wichita now has a second-consecutive day of record heat, with chances for a third on Saturday.

Just before 2 p.m. on Friday, Wichita reached 70 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 69 degrees back in 2021. The 2021 record was a tie from 2008, which broke the Dec. 26, 1976, record of 64 degrees, according to National Weather Service data.

Wichita reached 71 degrees on Friday shortly after breaking the record. Records in Wichita date back to the 1880s.

Salina and Russell tied their previous Dec. 26 highs on Friday.

On Thursday, Wichita set a Dec. 25 record with a high of 75 degrees, which beat the previous record of 68 degrees in 2019. Chanute, the fourth and final official weather site in Kansas, also set a Dec. 25 record by reaching 76 degrees — the previous record was 71 degrees in 1922.

Salina, Russell and Wichita all have forecasted highs for Saturday that could break the previous Dec. 27 record. Wichita had a previous Dec. 27 high of 68 degrees in 1946. The high for tomorrow is forecast to reach 71 degrees.

Salina’s previous Dec. 27 record was 68 degrees, set in 1928; tomorrow the high is forecast for 70.

Russell had a Dec. 27 high of 66 degrees in 1956, and a forecasted high on Saturday of 68 degrees.

But the heat on Saturday will be followed by a “pretty powerful cold front coming in Sunday,” according to James Cuellar, a NWS meteorologist in Wichita.

The highest temperatures of the day will be at midnight before cooling down to freezing temperatures Sunday night, NWS data shows. It’s possible to see some light rain and even traces of snow, Cuellar said.

Monday is forecast to have a high of 33 degrees.

The rest of the week fluctuates between highs just above and below normal this time of year before a slight warm up next weekend, he said.