Kansas braces for ‘arctic air mass’ that could bring wind chills of minus 20 degrees soon

Lindsay Smith
·3 min read
2

It’s shaping up to be a chilly week in Wichita and across much of Kansas.

The National Weather Service forecasts a high of 32 degrees Fahrenheit Tuesday in Wichita, with a low of 22, while Wednesday will warm up with a high of 45.

Thursday evening will take a turn, however, with a low of 12 degrees and a 40% chance of snow. Friday is expecting a high of 21 with that same chance of snow before noon, while Saturday expected to hit a high of 18 and a low of a chilling 2 degrees.

In a tweet Sunday, the NWS credited those chilling temperature forecasts to an “arctic airmass” making its way through the area Thursday through Sunday.

Wind chills in Wichita are expected to reach minus 7 degrees Friday morning and minus 13 Saturday, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, Hutchinson’s wind chills are supposed to get as low as minus 17 over the weekend, while Russell has the projected coldest wind chills at minus 26 degrees Saturday morning.

But what is an arctic air mass and how should you prepare to stay warm if temperatures hit the single-digits? Here’s what to know.

What is an arctic air mass?

“When you say Arctic air mass, it’s an air mass that originates in the Arctic, and stream of air comes down from the pole area ... it’s just bitterly cold temperatures,” Bryan Bearg, a forecaster for the NWS’s Wichita office, told The Eagle Monday.

According to Encyclopedia Brittanica, arctic air masses originate in the northern and southern hemispheres and can cause biting winds and truly chilling temperatures.

Bearg said wind chills are supposed to get as low as minus 20 both Saturday and Sunday morning in Wichita. The last time the city saw these kinds of wind chills was due to an arctic air mass was just after Christmas 2022, the forecaster noted.

Wichita is also expected to see another round of snowfall this week.

“We’re expecting later on this [Monday] afternoon, especially this evening, precipitation will fill back in including Wichita,” Bearg said. “It’s a transition to snow sometime during the evening hours tonight, or this evening into the overnight hours. And we’re expecting an inch or two locally here in the metro area.”

Staying warm in Wichita during cold front

The best way to stay warm during Wichita’s cold front is to prepare ahead of time.

To save energy during bitter cold, Kansas Gas Service recommends sealing leaks, reducing your water heater’s temperature, changing and checking filters and changing the direction of any ceiling fans.

If you’re planning on hunkering down during a cold spell, be sure to wear layers around the house and have plenty of pre-packaged snacks on hand. Don’t use the oven as a way to heat your home, as that can be a safety hazard.