FNUS75 KPUB 121512
FWSPUB

SPOT FORECAST FOR SANTA MARIA...USFS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
912 AM MDT TUE MAY 12 2009

IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

.DISCUSSION...
THE BIG CONCERN WITH THIS AREA IS THE DIRECTION OF THE WINDS THIS AFTERNOON.
ONCE THE INVERSION LIFTS LATE THIS MORNING...EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON...WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL DOMINATE THE WIND FLOW. IF
THE WINDS HAVE MORE OF A WESTERLY COMPONENT THEN THEY WILL POOL UP
AGAINST THE TERRAIN AND WILL BE PUSHED EITHER UP THE TERRAIN OR TO
THE SOUTH SOUTHEAST. IF THE WINDS HAVE MORE OF A SOUTHWEST COMPONENT
THEN THE TERRAIN WILL FORCE THEM UPSLOPE AND TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST.
WINDS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS THAT WILL BE
TERRAIN ENHANCED AND WILL BE AS HIGH AS 40 MPH. CLEAR SKIES AND WARM
DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL CAUSE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TODAY TO BE IN
THE LOW TEENS AND UPPER SINGLE DIGITS. WINDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE
GUSTY WELL INTO THE EVENING...BEFORE THE INVERSION BECOMES STRONG
ENOUGH TO DECOUPLE AND THE SURFACE WINDS WILL BE AROUND 10 MPH BY
EARLY MORNING. THERE WILL BE A GENERAL DRY NORTHWEST FLOW WITH
LIGHTER SURFACE WINDS TOMORROW.

PLEASE CONTACT US WHEN YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHICH WAY THE WINDS ARE BLOWING.

.TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY(36 PERCENT).
MAX TEMPERATURE.....60-65F.
MIN HUMIDITY........9-14 PERCENT.
20 FOOT WIND........SOUTHWEST WINDS 15-20 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH
                    IN THE AFTERNOON.
MIXING HEIGHT.......LESS THAN 500 FEET AGL UNTIL 0700. 10000 FT AGL
                    AFTER 0900.
TRANSPORT WIND......WEST AROUND 27 MPH.
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR UNTIL 0800. EXCELLENT AFTER 1100.
HAINES INDEX........5 OR MODERATE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE PLUME
                    DOMINATED FIRE GROWTH.
LAL.................1.

.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....33-38F.
MAX HUMIDITY........41-46 PERCENT.
20 FOOT WIND........WEST WINDS 10-15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH EARLY
                    IN THE EVENING.
MIXING HEIGHT.......5000 FT AGL UNTIL 2200. 500 FT AGL AFTER 2400.
TRANSPORT WIND......WEST AROUND 24 MPH.
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....EXCELLENT UNTIL 2100. POOR AFTER 2400.
HAINES INDEX........5 OR MODERATE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE PLUME
                    DOMINATED FIRE GROWTH.
LAL.................1.

.WEDNESDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY(33 PERCENT).
MAX TEMPERATURE.....57-62F.
MIN HUMIDITY........12-17 PERCENT.
20 FOOT WIND........WEST WINDS 13-17 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 32 MPH IN THE
                    LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON.
MIXING HEIGHT.......1000 FT AGL UNTIL 0900...THEN 8000 FT AGL.
TRANSPORT WIND......WEST AROUND 22 MPH.
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR UNTIL 0800. VERY GOOD AFTER 0900.
HAINES INDEX........4 OR LOW POTENTIAL FOR LARGE PLUME DOMINATED FIRE GROWTH.
LAL.................1.

$$
FORECASTER...CERU
REQUESTED BY...PUEBLO DISPATCH
TYPE OF REQUEST...WILDFIRE
.TAG 20090512.SANTA.01/PUB