Current weather · Oct 2, 3:22 PM CDT

37.3710, -98.4030

68°

SunnyFeels like 68° · Humidity 57%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Dodge City, KS · grid 133,19
High
69°
Low
53°
Rain today
1%
Sunrise
7:30 AM
Sunset
7:15 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Fri 3 PM68°68°52°57%0%NE12 mph20 mph3%—10 mi
Fri 4 PM68°68°52°57%0%NE12 mph20 mph3%—10 mi
Fri 5 PM68°68°51°55%0%NE10 mph18 mph1%—10 mi
Fri 6 PM68°68°50°53%0%NE8 mph17 mph2%—10 mi
Fri 7 PM64°64°50°60%0%NE6 mph13 mph1%—10 mi
Fri 8 PM62°62°50°65%0%NE6 mph12 mph3%—10 mi
Fri 9 PM58°58°49°72%0%NE6 mph12 mph2%—10 mi
Fri 10 PM56°56°49°77%0%NE5 mph10 mph3%—10 mi
Fri 11 PM55°55°49°80%0%NE5 mph9 mph3%—10 mi
Sat 12 AM54°54°48°80%0%NE3 mph8 mph0%—10 mi
Sat 1 AM53°53°48°83%0%NE3 mph7 mph2%—10 mi
Sat 2 AM52°52°48°86%0%NE3 mph7 mph4%—10 mi
Sat 3 AM51°51°48°89%0%NE3 mph7 mph4%—10 mi
Sat 4 AM51°51°47°86%0%NNE3 mph7 mph5%—10 mi
Sat 5 AM51°51°47°86%0%NNE3 mph6 mph13%—10 mi
Sat 6 AM50°49°47°89%0%NNE3 mph6 mph14%—9 mi
Sat 7 AM49°48°47°93%1%NNE3 mph6 mph15%—9 mi
Sat 8 AM51°51°48°89%1%NE2 mph5 mph29%—9 mi
Sat 9 AM52°52°49°89%1%NE2 mph5 mph12%—10 mi
Sat 10 AM57°57°51°80%0%E2 mph5 mph7%—10 mi
Sat 11 AM60°60°54°81%0%SE1 mph3 mph12%—10 mi
Sat 12 PM62°62°56°81%0%SSE1 mph3 mph11%—10 mi
Sat 1 PM65°65°58°78%0%SSE2 mph5 mph7%—10 mi
Sat 2 PM68°68°59°73%0%SSE2 mph6 mph2%—10 mi
Sat 3 PM71°71°60°68%0%SSE2 mph6 mph3%—10 mi
Sat 4 PM72°72°61°68%0%SSE3 mph8 mph2%—10 mi
Sat 5 PM73°73°61°66%0%SSE3 mph7 mph2%——
Sat 6 PM72°72°61°68%0%SSE2 mph7 mph15%——
Sat 7 PM68°68°61°78%0%SSE1 mph5 mph17%——
Sat 8 PM67°67°60°78%0%SSE0 mph3 mph5%——
Sat 9 PM64°64°60°87%0%N0 mph3 mph3%——
Sat 10 PM62°62°60°93%0%N0 mph3 mph2%——
Sat 11 PM61°61°59°93%0%N0 mph2 mph2%——
Sun 12 AM60°60°59°96%0%N0 mph2 mph1%——
Sun 1 AM59°59°59°100%0%N0 mph2 mph2%——
Sun 2 AM58°58°58°100%0%N0 mph2 mph5%——
Sun 3 AM57°57°57°100%0%NNW0 mph3 mph7%——
Sun 4 AM57°57°57°100%0%NNW2 mph5 mph16%——
Sun 5 AM56°56°56°100%0%NNW3 mph6 mph33%——
Sun 6 AM56°56°56°100%0%NNW3 mph7 mph39%——
Sun 7 AM56°56°56°100%0%NNW5 mph8 mph39%——
Sun 8 AM55°55°55°100%0%N5 mph9 mph33%——
Sun 9 AM58°58°58°100%0%N6 mph10 mph31%——
Sun 10 AM62°62°60°93%0%N7 mph13 mph28%——
Sun 11 AM65°65°61°87%0%N8 mph14 mph22%——
Sun 12 PM68°68°61°78%0%NNE9 mph15 mph17%——
Sun 1 PM70°70°61°73%0%NNE9 mph16 mph11%——
Sun 2 PM72°72°61°68%0%NNE9 mph17 mph10%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Oct 2, 1:32 PM CDT to day 8, the National Blend of Models to day 11, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodayOct 269°53°Sunny1%wind 16 mph · gusts 24 mph
  2. SatOct 373°55°Sunny1%wind 3 mph
  3. SunOct 475°50°Sunny0%wind 9 mph · gusts 17 mph
  4. MonOct 573°52°Sunny0%wind 5 mph
  5. TueOct 679°59°Sunny0%wind 12 mph · gusts 20 mph
  6. WedOct 782°62°Sunny0%wind 6 mph · gusts 13 mph
  7. ThuOct 883°62°Sunny0%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  8. FriOct 983°63°0%wind 8 mph · gusts 15 mph
  9. SatOct 1087°65°National Blend0%wind 15 mph · gusts 24 mph
  10. SunOct 1184°59°National Blend7%wind 14 mph · gusts 24 mph
  11. MonOct 1276°55°National Blend11%wind 12 mph · gusts 18 mph
  12. TueOct 13~71°56°Model mean0.45 in
  13. WedOct 14~69°52°Model mean0.05 in
  14. ThuOct 15~70°56°Model mean0.06 in
  15. FriOct 16~61°45°Model mean0.04 in
  16. SatOct 17~56°45°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like68°
  • WindNE 12 mphgusts 20 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity57%
  • Dew point52°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility10 mi
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset
  • Moonrise11:36 PMMoonset 2:20 PM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous64% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Oct 2, 7:00 AM CDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodayOct 271°49°NWS grid 69° / 53°rain 1%wind 15 mph · gusts 23 mph
  2. SatOct 373°55°NWS grid 73° / 55°rain 1%wind 5 mph
  3. SunOct 478°51°NWS grid 75° / 50°rain 0%wind 9 mph · gusts 16 mph
  4. MonOct 576°53°NWS grid 73° / 52°rain 0%wind 5 mph
  5. TueOct 682°61°NWS grid 79° / 59°rain 0%wind 12 mph · gusts 21 mph
  6. WedOct 785°63°NWS grid 82° / 62°rain 1%thunder 12%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  7. ThuOct 886°64°NWS grid 83° / 62°rain 2%wind 5 mph
  8. FriOct 986°64°NWS grid 83° / 63°rain 0%wind 8 mph · gusts 16 mph
  9. SatOct 1087°65°Beyond the NWS gridrain 0%wind 15 mph · gusts 24 mph
  10. SunOct 1184°59°Beyond the NWS gridrain 7%wind 14 mph · gusts 24 mph
  11. MonOct 1276°55°Beyond the NWS gridrain 11%wind 12 mph · gusts 18 mph
41°64°86°SatSunMonTueWedThuFri

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Oct 2, 7:00 AM CDT · GFS Oct 2, 7:00 AM CDT · GEFS Oct 2, 7:00 AM CDT · ECMWF Oct 1, 7:00 PM CDT · ECMWF AI Oct 2, 7:00 AM CDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

41°68°95°SatSunMonTueWedThuFri

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Oct 269° 53°64° 54°70° 56°69° 56°71° 58°~68° 56°
Sat Oct 373° 55°67° 49°74° 53°73° 53°~74° 54°~72° 53°
Sun Oct 475° 50°58° 53°77° 61°77° 60°76° 58°~77° 58°
Mon Oct 573° 52°—74° 54°74° 55°74° 53°~74° 52°
Tue Oct 679° 59°—83° 56°80° 56°~82° 58°~81° 56°
Wed Oct 782° 62°—89° 63°85° 61°83° 59°~82° 59°
Thu Oct 883° 62°—90° 64°85° 63°~80° 60°~85° 60°
Fri Oct 983° 63°—86° 65°82° 62°~78° 59°~80° 59°
Sat Oct 10——86° 64°84° 63°~79° 60°~84° 61°
Sun Oct 11——82° 61°81° 63°0.04 in~81° 79°~82° 66°0.02 in
Mon Oct 12——~71° 68°0.07 in~63° 59°~83° 68°~74° 68°0.64 in
Tue Oct 13——~74° 55°—~75° 60°0.17 in~64° 53°1.18 in
Wed Oct 14——~87° 63°—~65° 47°~56° 48°0.15 in
Thu Oct 15——~78° 70°0.18 in—~65° 55°~66° 44°
Fri Oct 16——~63° 51°0.07 in—~48° 45°~58° 40°
Sat Oct 17——~56° 45°——~47° 45°

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Medicine_lodge (P28) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Sat Oct 17, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature lean60%40%equal chancesequal chances · Oct to Dec0°20°40°60°80°100°TodayNov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normalCPC near normal or equal chances

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Oct 274° / 50°98° (2024)23° (2000)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 973° / 46°100° (2021)20° (2000)60% chance above normal · days 6 to 1040% chance below normal · days 6 to 10
Oct 1673° / 44°94° (2005)24° (2006)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 2366° / 39°97° (2024)17° (2019)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 3065° / 39°86° (2005)15° (2019)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 665° / 38°91° (2006)4° (2019)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 1361° / 31°85° (2016)7° (2014)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 2056° / 31°76° (2012)11° (2003)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 2753° / 26°82° (2021)5° (2006)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 445° / 24°75° (2008)-4° (2005)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 1148° / 23°80° (2021)-0° (2000)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 1847° / 23°77° (2021)-11° (2016)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 2549° / 23°83° (2025)8° (2010)equal chances · Oct to Dec40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Common coldtodayLowmild
  • FlutodayLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstodayLowmild
  • SunburntodayLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night

Outdoors

  • RunningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • HikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • BikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GolftodayIdealfine conditions
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayVery goodwind
  • Beach and pooltodayGoodcool
  • CampingtonightIdealfine conditions
  • StargazingtonightVery goodbright moon

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GardeningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayIdealfine conditions
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayIdealfine conditions
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayHighwarm
  • TickstodayHighwarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hHighcool nights, warm days
  • Outdoor peststodayModeratewarm

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight: 3 dark, clear hours without a bright moon, from 9:00 PM. Rated good.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
FridayGood8:42 PM to 6:04 AM9 of 93 h from 9:00 PM60%Fair1 h6 mph
SaturdayGood8:40 PM to 6:05 AM8 of 94 h from 9:00 PM49%Poor8 h3 mph
SundayGood8:39 PM to 6:06 AM9 of 95 h from 9:00 PM39%Poor7 h5 mph
MondayGood8:37 PM to 6:07 AM9 of 96 h from 9:00 PM29%Poor5 h6 mph
TuesdayGood8:36 PM to 6:08 AM5 of 95 h from 1:00 AM20%Fair1 h7 mph
WednesdayGood8:34 PM to 6:09 AM9 of 99 h from 9:00 PM12%Fair3 mph
ThursdayGood8:33 PM to 6:10 AM9 of 99 h from 9:00 PM6%Fair5 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Fri7:04 AM to 7:14 AM7:14 AM to 8:05 AM6:40 PM to 7:31 PM7:31 PM to 7:41 PM
Sat7:05 AM to 7:15 AM7:15 AM to 8:06 AM6:39 PM to 7:30 PM7:30 PM to 7:40 PM
Sun7:06 AM to 7:16 AM7:16 AM to 8:07 AM6:37 PM to 7:28 PM7:28 PM to 7:38 PM
Mon7:07 AM to 7:17 AM7:17 AM to 8:07 AM6:36 PM to 7:27 PM7:27 PM to 7:37 PM
Tue7:07 AM to 7:18 AM7:18 AM to 8:08 AM6:34 PM to 7:25 PM7:25 PM to 7:35 PM
Wed7:08 AM to 7:18 AM7:18 AM to 8:09 AM6:33 PM to 7:24 PM7:24 PM to 7:34 PM
Thu7:09 AM to 7:19 AM7:19 AM to 8:10 AM6:31 PM to 7:22 PM7:22 PM to 7:32 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 7:30 AM, 94° E
  • SS Sunset 7:15 PM, 266° W
  • MR Moonrise 11:36 PM, 55° NE
  • MS Moonset 2:20 PM, 306° NW
  • Waning gibbous, 64% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: fly with caution (gusts near or over your limit). Next good stretch: Sat 8 AM to 7 PM, 11 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 7:00 AM to sunrise 7:30 AM, and sunset 7:15 PM to 7:45 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Fri6 PM
Sat12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sun12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Fri 3 PMCaution1215230%10 mi68°gusts near or over your limit
Fri 4 PMNo-fly1217250%10 mi68°gusts near or over your limit
Fri 5 PMCaution1013210%10 mi68°gusts near or over your limit
Fri 6 PMCaution810200%10 mi68°gusts near or over your limit
Fri 7 PMNo-fly623300%10 mi64°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 8 PMNo-fly623290%10 mi62°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 9 PMNo-fly623290%10 mi58°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 10 PMCaution518240%10 mi56°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Fri 11 PMCaution518230%10 mi55°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 12 AMCaution314180%10 mi54°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 1 AMCaution314170%10 mi53°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 2 AMCaution314170%10 mi52°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 3 AMCaution314170%10 mi51°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 4 AMCaution314170%10 mi51°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 5 AMCaution314160%10 mi51°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 6 AMCaution314160%9 mi50°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 7 AMCaution314161%9 mi49°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 8 AMGood2351%9 mi51°nothing against it
Sat 9 AMGood2351%10 mi52°nothing against it
Sat 10 AMGood2350%10 mi57°nothing against it
Sat 11 AMGood1140%10 mi60°nothing against it
Sat 12 PMGood1140%10 mi62°nothing against it
Sat 1 PMGood2350%10 mi65°nothing against it
Sat 2 PMGood2360%10 mi68°nothing against it

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Fri 7 PM to Sat 1 AM 6 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 4 PM to 6 PM 2 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sun 5 PM to 10 PM 5 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Mon 12 PM to 11 PM 11 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Tue 7 PM to Wed 2 AM 7 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Wed 11 AM to Thu 2 AM 15 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Thu 10 AM to Fri 5 AM 19 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Fri 10 AM to 4 PM 6 hours, every hour within the rules
Fri6 PM
Sat12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sun12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Mon12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
FridayDry1%0.00 in53%16 mph8 d
SaturdayDry1%0.00 in66%3 mph7 d
SundayDry0%0.00 in58%9 mph6 d
MondayDry0%0.00 in55%5 mph5 d
TuesdayDry0%0.00 in56%12 mph4 d
WednesdayDry0%0.00 in53%6 mph3 d
ThursdayDry0%0.00 in53%6 mph2 d
FridayDry0%0.00 in51%8 mph1 d

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Thursday, rated good.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Fri Fair5:26 AM to 7:26 AM5:57 PM to 7:57 PM1:50 PM to 2:50 PM11:06 PM to 12:06 AM 64%7:30 AM, 7:15 PM
Sat Fair6:28 AM to 8:28 AM6:58 PM to 8:58 PM2:45 PM to 3:45 PM 53%7:31 AM, 7:14 PM
Sun Fair7:28 AM to 9:28 AM7:56 PM to 9:56 PM12:16 AM to 1:16 AM3:30 PM to 4:30 PM 43%7:32 AM, 7:12 PM
Mon Fair8:24 AM to 10:24 AM8:50 PM to 10:50 PM1:29 AM to 2:29 AM4:07 PM to 5:07 PM 32%7:33 AM, 7:11 PM
Tue Poor9:15 AM to 11:15 AM9:40 PM to 11:40 PM2:42 AM to 3:42 AM4:38 PM to 5:38 PM 23%7:34 AM, 7:09 PM
Wed Fair10:04 AM to 12:04 PM10:27 PM to 12:27 AM3:51 AM to 4:51 AM5:05 PM to 6:05 PM 15%7:34 AM, 7:08 PM
Thu Good10:50 AM to 12:50 PM4:59 AM to 5:59 AM5:30 PM to 6:30 PM 8%7:35 AM, 7:06 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. This Afternoon69° · NE 12 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind around 12 mph.

  2. Tonight49° · NE 3–8 mph

    Clear, with a low around 49. Northeast wind 3 to 8 mph.

  3. Saturday73° · 1% · E 3 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 73. East wind around 3 mph.

  4. Saturday Night55° · NNW 0–3 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 55. North northwest wind 0 to 3 mph.

  5. Sunday75° · N 3–9 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 3 to 9 mph.

  6. Sunday Night50° · NE 6 mph

    Clear, with a low around 50.

  7. Monday73° · E 5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 73.

  8. Monday Night52° · SSE 6 mph

    Clear, with a low around 52.

  9. Tuesday79° · S 5–12 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 79.

  10. Tuesday Night59° · S 5–8 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

  11. Wednesday82° · S 6 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 82.

  12. Wednesday Night62° · S 3 mph

    Clear, with a low around 62.

  13. Thursday83° · SSW 6 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 83.

  14. Thursday Night62° · S 5 mph

    Clear, with a low around 62.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Dodge City, KS · issued Oct 2, 12:13 PM CDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

KEY Messages

Dry conditions likely through early next week.

Seasonal temperatures through the weekend.

Discussion

1207 PM CDT Fri Oct 2 2026

WV imagery indicates a westerly flow aloft prevailing across the Western High Plains downstream of weak ridging aloft transitioning slowly east through the Intermountain West. Near the surface, a broad area of high pressure is drifting east through the Great Lakes.

Much drier conditions return to western Kansas through the weekend as the SREF indicates ridging aloft slowly building as it edges eastward across the Great Basin, lending to a fairly weak west- northwest flow aloft across the Western High Plains. Meanwhile, developing southerlies Saturday will be slow to tap into moisture, doing little to introduce/increase any instability to the area.

Seasonal temperatures are likely tonight as slowly departing surface high pressure across the Great Lakes does little to erode the cooler air mass within easterly upsloping across the high plains of western Kansas. The latest HREF shows a 70-90% probability of temperatures dropping below 50F in west central Kansas and much of southwest Kansas to 50-70% probability of temperatures slipping below 55F in south central Kansas, so look for lows generally down into the 40s(F), especially where skies remain mostly clear. The lower 50s(F) cannot be ruled out in south central Kansas where prevailing low level stratus just south of the Oklahoma line potentially edging back north a bit. Rebounding temperatures are likely Saturday as developing southerlies increase throughout the day as lee side troughing deepens in eastern Colorado. This will draw slightly warmer air northward into western Kansas, pushing H85 temperatures a little above 15C in central Kansas to near 20C near the Colorado line. Expect widespread afternoon highs in the 70s(F) with the HREF painting a 70-90% probability of temperatures exceeding 70F. Similar temperatures are forecast Sunday with a weak front projected to push southward through western Kansas early morning, helping cap the warming trend briefly.

Aviation · 12Z TAFs Through 12Z Saturday

1152 AM CDT Fri Oct 2 2026

VFR conditions will prevail in vicinity of all TAF sites through early Saturday. Light east-northeast winds through late afternoon are expected to turn more southeasterly generally after 23-01Z this evening as surface high pressure in the Great Lakes Region pushes farther east.

DDC Watches / Warnings / Advisories

None.

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  2. Day 2 · Sat Oct 3No risk area
  3. Day 3 · Sun Oct 4No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Mon Oct 5No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Tue Oct 6No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Wed Oct 7No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Thu Oct 8No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Fri Oct 9No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Fri Oct 2Under 0.01 in
  2. Day 2 · Sat Oct 3Under 0.01 in
  3. Day 3 · Sun Oct 4Under 0.01 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Oct 5–Oct 6Under 0.01 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 7–Oct 8Under 0.01 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · Temperature60% chance above normalOct 8–Oct 12
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 8–Oct 12
  3. Days 8–14 · Temperature40% chance above normalOct 10–Oct 16
  4. Days 8–14 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 10–Oct 16

Hazards, 3 to 14 days

  1. Oct 5–Oct 9Severe Drought

Drought

  1. Drought Monitor, map of Sep 29D2 Severe drought
  2. Outlook for Oct 2026Drought remains but improves

Drought in this county: the map, the record since 2000 and the outlook

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Medicine Lodge

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around April 13 and the first fall freeze around October 23: a growing season of about 191 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by October 10; one spring in ten still has one after April 29.

Climate of 37.37, -98.40: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 24 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementFriSatSunMonTueWedThuFri
HeatRisk max0 · Little0 · Little0 · Little0 · Little0 · Little0 · Little1 · Minor1 · Minor
Wet bulb globe temperature max64°70°70°69°73°77°77°77°
Heat index max73°75°73°79°83°83°84°
Wind chill min48°49°
Chance of thunder max2%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%
Cloud ceiling min2,200 ft
Visibility min9 mi9 mi
Mixing height max2,900 ft3,300 ft4,500 ft3,400 ft3,500 ft3,600 ft2,800 ft2,400 ft
Transport wind max24 mph10 mph16 mph14 mph16 mph13 mph14 mph14 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Medicine_lodge (P28) · 10 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Fri Oct 269° / 53°78° / 51°97° (2006)36° (2020)
Sat Oct 373° / 55°78° / 52°98° (2024)36° (2009)
Sun Oct 475° / 50°76° / 52°93° (2007)33° (1999)
Mon Oct 573° / 52°74° / 50°97° (2024)37° (2001)
Tue Oct 679° / 59°75° / 48°92° (2016)32° (2001)
Wed Oct 782° / 62°74° / 47°92° (2014)28° (2012)
Thu Oct 883° / 62°75° / 50°89° (2010)23° (2000)
Fri Oct 983° / 63°74° / 50°100° (2021)20° (2000)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Fri7:04 AM7:30 AM7:15 PM7:41 PM11 h 45 min Waning gibbous · 64% lit
Sat7:05 AM7:31 AM7:14 PM7:40 PM11 h 43 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun7:06 AM7:32 AM7:12 PM7:38 PM11 h 40 min Last quarter · 43% lit
Mon7:07 AM7:33 AM7:11 PM7:37 PM11 h 38 min Waning crescent · 32% lit
Tue7:07 AM7:34 AM7:09 PM7:35 PM11 h 35 min Waning crescent · 23% lit
Wed7:08 AM7:34 AM7:08 PM7:34 PM11 h 34 min Waning crescent · 15% lit
Thu7:09 AM7:35 AM7:06 PM7:32 PM11 h 31 min Waning crescent · 8% lit
Fri7:10 AM7:36 AM7:05 PM7:31 PM11 h 29 min Waning crescent · 3% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from