PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
531 AM CDT THU JUN 9 2011

...A REVIEW OF THE HEAT BURST IN WICHITA OVERNIGHT...

AN UNUSUAL HEAT BURST OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT
VERY EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS THE WICHITA AREA. THE
TEMPERATURE JUMPED SOME 15 TO 20 DEGREES IN A MATTER
OF 15 TO 20 MINUTES...RISING FROM THE LOW TO MID 80S
TO AROUND 102 DEGREES. THE SUDDEN RISE IN THE
THERMOMETER WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A DOWNBURST OF WINDS
THAT GUSTED TO NEAR 60 MPH IN SOME LOCATIONS.

THE HEAT BURST WAS FIRST NOTED ON THE WEST SIDE OF
THE CITY AROUND 1230 AM. THE TEMPERATURE ROSE FROM
85 DEGREES AT 1222 AM AT THE MID-CONTINENT AIRPORT TO
102 DEGREES AT 1242 AM. WINDS GUSTED TO AROUND 45 MPH.
SEVERAL OTHER OBSERVATIONS ACROSS THE WEST SIDE SHOWED
A TEMPERATURE JUMP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S. THE HEAT
BURST SHIFTED TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY AFTER 1 AM.
A SIMILAR JUMP IN THE TEMPERATURE WAS NOTED AT BOTH
JABARA AIRPORT AND MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE RISING TO
NEAR 100 DEGREES SHORTLY AFTER 1 AM THIS MORNING. THE
HOT BURST OF AIR WAS ALSO VERY DRY...WITH DEW POINT
TEMPERATURES DROPPING FROM THE 60S INTO THE 20S AND 30S.

THE BURST OF HOT AIR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WAS
LIKELY THE RESULT OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WHICH DISSIPATED
ABOUT 30 TO 60 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE HEAT BURST BEING
FELT. THE RAINFALL EVAPORATED AS HIGH LEVEL AIR
DESCENDED FROM THE DYING STORMS. THIS AIR COMPRESSED AND
WARMED SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT DESCENDED...RESULTING IN A
HOT BLAST OF AIR AT THE GROUND. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
WITH THE PRESENCE OF DRY AIR ALOFT HAVE TO BE JUST
RIGHT TO PRODUCE THE RARE OCCURRENCE OF A HEAT BURST.

$$

DARMOFAL