Wichita has logged 99 days at 90 degrees or above in 2026, two days short of tying the all-time city record set 72 years ago.

The National Weather Service's Wichita office said on X on Thursday, Sept. 17, that the 99-day total ranks third in city history. The record of 101 days was set in 1954. With forecast highs in the 90s Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19, the agency said the city will likely tie that mark before a cold front arrives.

NWS meteorologist Andy Kleinsasser told the Wichita Eagle that holding onto summer heat this deep into September is unusual.

"September can be fairly hot still. It can be kind of an extension of summer, but we're now getting close to the third week of September, so it's unusual to hang on to the hot summer heat this long," Kleinsasser said.

Wichita's average high for mid- to late September falls in the low- to mid-80s, according to Kleinsasser. Instead, the city has been running in the mid- to upper-90s or near 100 for much of the month. As of Sept. 17, Wichita had recorded 10 days in September with a high of 100 degrees or above, a single-month record, the Eagle reported. A high of 101 degrees on Tuesday, Sept. 15, broke a daily record that had stood since 1893, the Eagle reported.

The heat has defined Wichita's 2026 summer.

Every day in August reached at least 90 degrees, the first time that had happened in city records dating to 1888, KAKE reported. The month's average high was 98.9 degrees, the third-hottest August on record behind 1936 and 2000. NWS meteorologist Robb Lawson told the Wichita Eagle on Sept. 10, when a 48-day consecutive streak of 90-degree days had just ended, that every day in August hitting 90 was a first in Wichita's recorded history.

A cold front is expected to break the pattern Saturday evening. KSN's forecast warned of damaging 60- to 80-mph winds and localized flooding ahead of the front, including in the Wichita metro area. KSN Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman's forecast called for a Saturday high of 98 degrees with a 30% chance of storms.

Behind the front, Kleinsasser said fall-like air should arrive Sunday, Sept. 20, or Monday, Sept. 21, with highs likely in the 70s and lows in the 50s. KSN's forecast projected highs of 83 degrees Sunday and 79 degrees Monday.

Whether the city ties or breaks the 1954 record depends on Friday's and Saturday's official readings at Eisenhower National Airport. If both days reach 90, Wichita will match the 72-year-old mark at 101.