FNUS73 KFGF 221549 FWSFGF SPOT FORECAST FOR BLUESTEM-TU...THE NATURE CONSERVANCY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 1049 AM CDT WED APR 22 2009 FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 1300 CDT ON APRIL 22. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DISCUSSION... HIGH PRESSURE OVER AREA THIS MORNING. EXPECT LIGHT WINDS THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH ARE CURRENTLY EAST BUT WILL SWITCH TO SOUTHEAST BY 2 PM. WINDS WILL THEN STRENGTHEN AS LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL ACTUALLY BE STRONGEST TONIGHT AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. HUMIDITY STARTED HIGH THIS MORNING...BUT SHOULD DROP TO VERY DRY VALUES NEAR 35 PERCENT BY MID THIS AFTERNOON. SUNNY SKIES AND TEMPS NEAR 60 TODAY. POOR SMOKE DISPERSION THIS MORNING...BUT GOOD AFTER 2 PM. THE SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL BE STRONGER TONIGHT. NOT EXPECTING GOOD RH RECOVERY DUE TO THE WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE. THURSDAY LOOKS MUCH WARMER AND WITH GUSTY SOUTH WINDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTHWEST. RH COULD BE EVEN DRIER THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST...BUT LACKING SOME CONFIDENCE ON THE TIMING OF THE FRONT...ONSET OF THE FRONT... AND DEGREE AND QUICKNESS OF RH RECOVERY ONCE THE FRONT PUSHES THE COLDER AIR INTO THE AREA. IT CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH AROUND 3 OR 4 PM. THERE COULD BE SOME SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY BECOMING PARTLY SUNNY. MAX TEMPERATURE.....59-64. MIN HUMIDITY........34-39 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........NORTH WINDS UP TO 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST 9 TO 14 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20 MPH EARLY IN THE MORNING. MIXING HEIGHT.......300-1700 FT AGL INCREASING TO 2400-3600 FT AGL IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. MIXING WINDS........SOUTH 8 TO 17 MPH INCREASING TO AROUND 20 MPH LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. TIME (CDT) 1 PM 3 PM 5 PM SKY (%).........10 42 56 WEATHER COV..... WEATHER TYPE....NONE NONE NONE TEMP............49 55 61 RH..............45 40 41 20 FT WIND......SE 8 S 10 S 13 20 FT WIND GUST.10 15 15 .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY. MIN TEMPERATURE.....46-51. MAX HUMIDITY........65-70 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........SOUTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 20 MPH. MIXING HEIGHT.......1800-3700 FT AGL DECREASING TO 1200-1400 FT AGL AFTER MIDNIGHT. MIXING WINDS........SOUTH 22 TO 30 MPH DECREASING TO AROUND 24 MPH EARLY IN THE MORNING. TIME (CDT) 7 PM 9 PM 11 PM 1 AM 3 AM 5 AM SKY (%).........42 37 33 30 29 29 WEATHER COV..... WEATHER TYPE....NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE TEMP............60 57 54 52 50 49 RH..............47 50 54 57 61 66 20 FT WIND......SE 15 SE 15 SE 16 SE 18 SE 20 SE 18 20 FT WIND GUST.20 20 20 25 25 25 .THURSDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. MAX TEMPERATURE.....73-78. MIN HUMIDITY........31-36 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 20 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 13 TO 18 MPH LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. MIXING HEIGHT.......1200-3000 FT AGL INCREASING TO 6200-7200 FT AGL. MIXING WINDS........SOUTHWEST 18 TO 22 MPH. TIME (CDT) 7 AM 9 AM 11 AM 1 PM 3 PM 5 PM SKY (%).........32 36 42 49 54 59 WEATHER COV..... S CHC S CHC S CHC WEATHER TYPE....NONE NONE NONE RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR TEMP............48 54 63 70 74 75 RH..............70 58 50 38 37 39 20 FT WIND......S 16 S 18 S 18 S 18 S 20 SW 20 20 FT WIND GUST.20 25 25 25 25 25 $$ FORECASTER...GROCHOCINSKI REQUESTED BY...MATT MECKLENBURG TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED .TAG 20090422.BLUES.01/FGF