Cooler conditions are coming. It may be a bumpy ride getting there.
High temperatures will be in the upper 90s with head index readings at or slightly above 100 degrees both Friday and Saturday, following air temperatures in the mid-90s and heat index readings as high as 101 Thursday.
Friday and most of Saturday will be dry, but thunderstorm chances begin by early evening and continue through Sunday. The Saturday evening activity also carries a slight risk of severe weather, with wind gusts up to 65 mph and hail to the size of ping pong balls both possible. Storms could also bring brief heavy rain, but the potential rain amounts have come down considerably when compared to forecasts through Thursday. Earlier projections indicated an inch or more from Saturday afternoon through Monday morning. The National Weather Service Forecast Points website now indicates less than half an inch for Emporia through the weekend and into Monday.
If we have severe weather Saturday evening, this would mark the official debut of KVOE’s on-air partnership with Weatherology, a national weather company that will break in with severe weather alerts and will provide you with hourly forecasts — as well as more detailed weather information during our 7 am, noon and 5 pm hours of news and information.
As far as daytime high temperatures, Sunday will have highs in the low 80s. Monday and much of next week will have highs in the 70s.
KVOE, KVOE.com and Weatherology will keep you updated.
Meanwhile, 3 rounds of heavy rainfall over the last week weren’t enough to cause much impact in the drought that has been expanding over east-central and northeast Kansas over the last month.
The US Drought Monitor shifted the dividing line further south in its weekly update Thursday, so moderate drought is now in central and southern Greenwood County. However, the rest of the KVOE listening area is listed as abnormally dry despite 3-8 inches of rainfall areawide since September 9, including rain totals approaching 5 inches in some areas of north Lyon County on Tuesday and Wednesday.
