Ottawa, Kansas 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

380
FXUS63 KTOP 042310
AFDTOP

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Topeka KS
610 PM CDT Sat Jul 4 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Thunderstorms may redevelop late this afternoon and early evening.
  Areas south of I-70 have the higher chances of seeing storms.

- If storms form, there is a risk for damaging winds and hail. Be
  ready to move indoors if a thunderstorm threatens your location.

- A slight cool down and lower humidity is expected as we begin the
  new week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 157 PM CDT Sat Jul 4 2026

19Z water vapor imagery showed an MCV moving into MO but profiler
data across eastern NEB with veering 500MB winds hinted at a second
perturbation moving along the MO river valley too. A low amplitude
wave was noted across the northern plains. At the surface, convection
from earlier today caused a meso-high to set up across northeast KS
with the effective surface front/inverted trough axis shunted south
over northern OK.

For this evening the big picture is for redevelopment to be mainly
across southern KS where an 850MB boundary is progged to be. This
looks to be between KTWX and KICT right now. But there is also the
development along a wind shift coming out of north central KS. I
would expect this convection to only reinforce the meso-high and
keep the synoptic boundary south of the forecast area. But the
predictability in this weakly forced environment is poor as evident
by the CAMs performance and forecast confidence remains low. With
this in mind have continued with some chances for elevated showers
and storms to reform. The forecast has chances for redevelopment
along I-70 in the 30 to 50 percent range. Areas along and south of
Ottawa to Council Grove have a better chance in the 55 to 75 percent
range due to a closer proximity to the 850MB boundary. If storms
develop, the RAP/NAM still prog steep mid level lapse rates with 30KT
to 40KT of bulk shear. Discrete storms may have some supercell
characteristics with the potential for large hail and damaging winds.
But weak storm motion is expected to favor storm mergers and and
eventual evolution into an MCS with a transition to damaging winds
and rain. If the latest models are right, this transition may be as
the storms are moving through southern KS. For areas along and north
of I-70, it looks like there is a high chance for dry weather this
evening.

Not a lot of changes to the forecast after tonight. There are
indications of some weak vort maximum moving through the MO river
valley Sunday afternoon. But most of the solutions are keeping any
pop up showers east of the area. So have dry forecast with precip
chances around 10 percent for northeast and east central KS. The
early part of the work week should see mid-level height rises
locally over the forecast area. This is progged to favor weak
subsidence and dry weather for Monday and into Wednesday as temps
remain seasonal. This pattern breaks down by the end of the week
with a more zonal flow and weak perturbations possible. So chances
for precip return to the forecast for Wednesday night through
Friday.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 610 PM CDT Sat Jul 4 2026

With the near saturated conditions made possible by prolonged cloud
cover and afternoon rain/storms, fog development seems to be the
biggest aviation hazard for this period. Highest confidence for fog
development will remain at KTOP and KFOE with some patchy fog
possible as far west as KMHK between 2 AM and sunrise Sunday
morning. Fog should burn off shortly after sunrise with VFR
conditions through the remainder of the period.
&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Wolters
AVIATION...Griesemer