Big system rolling in - rain, thunder, and even signs of winter

A highly advertised storm is about to come through the Plains, and as it does, we will have high humidity, wind, thunderstorms, and a brief brush with some winter. I think what's so encouraging with this powerful low pressure is just how much Gulf of Mexico humidity we'll be latching on to, but that doesn't necessarily mean everyone in Kansas will get good rain. 

Dew point temperatures (a measure of how much water is in the air) climb above 50 and 60 - which is more than enough to get thunderstorms and some heavier rainfall. In November, these numbers are high (even in spring, they'd be high), so I don't think there's a question about moisture to feed this next system.

As some of the storms organize and begin their trek to the east, wind gusts of around 60 mph are going to be possible. I don't foresee this happening on a large scale, as storms that go linear quickly tend to favor more wind threat than anything else. Our biggest rains will occur between 12am and 1pm Friday.

Rainfall forecast: I'm a little concerned that FAR western Kansas may not get much at all (probably less than .25"), but amounts will come up quickly farther east. I would expect from Hays to Dodge on east, we could expect close to an inch or more. It's not going to end drought but offers some temporary help and maybe get the rest of the winter wheat to sprout. 

Little bit of snow - don't be alarmed:

In the absence of much colder air, much of the snow will be limited to the highest elevations west of Kansas (mainly Rockies and High Plains). We could get some snowflakes mixing with rain Friday and early Saturday, but that's it. The coldest air is locked up farther north.

Trending toward cold soon:

We still expect a flip to some colder weather soon - mid month & into Thanksgiving. A front is coming through later next week, and although it will be a little chilly then, I still look for temperatures to dip more later into the month. 

Have a great day.