FNUS75 KTFX 261511
FWSTFX

SPOT FORECAST FOR MACDONALD PASS...HELENA DISPATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
911 AM MDT SAT SEP 26 2009

FORECAST IS BASED ON REQUEST TIME OF 0830 MDT ON SEPTEMBER 26.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT
TONIGHT...

.DISCUSSION...
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS MORNING ACROSS THE FIRE AREA.
MORE PROTECTED LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL STILL SEE WIND GUSTS OUT OF THE
WEST AROUND 40 MPH THIS AFTERNOON...WHILE GUSTS NEAR THE PASS WILL
INCREASE TO AROUND 50 MPH. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL FALL TO NEAR
20 PERCENT AGAIN TODAY...AND THE COMBINATION OF DRY CONDITIONS WITH
THE STRONG WINDS HAS PROMPTED A RED FLAG WARNING THROUGH THIS
EVENING. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECOUPLE AND DECREASE OVERNIGHT. A
WEAK AND DRY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT
AS WELL...SHIFTING WINDS MORE NORTHERLY BY SUNDAY MORNING. THESE
WINDS WILL SHIFT MORE OUT OF THE EAST DURING THE DAY DUE TO TERRAIN
INFLUENCES...BUT THEY WILL BE MUCH LIGHTER THAN TODAY. RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES WILL AGAIN FALL TO NEAR 20 PERCENT ON SUNDAY...DESPITE
HIGH TEMPERATURES FALLING 10 TO 15 DEGREES OVER TODAY. ONLY A FEW
HIGH CLOUDS WILL PASS OVER THE AREA.  COULSTON


.TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY.
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....74-79.
MIN HUMIDITY........18-23 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........WINDY. AT MORE PROTECTED LOWER ELEVATIONS...WEST
                    WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH IN THE
                    MORNING INCREASING TO 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
                    AROUND 40 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. NEAR THE
                    PASS...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH
                    GUSTS TO 35 MPH IN THE MORNING INCREASING TO WEST
                    25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH IN THE
                    AFTERNOON.
RIDGE TOP WIND......NORTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45
                    INCREASING TO WEST 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55
                    MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
MIXING HEIGHT.......5500 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........NORTHWEST AROUND 30 MPH INCREASING TO WEST
                    AROUND 40 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLEAR.
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....44-49.
MAX HUMIDITY........40-45 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........WINDY. AT MORE PROTECTED LOWER ELEVATIONS...WEST
                    WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH EARLY IN
                    THE EVENING DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS
                    TO AROUND 25 MPH BY MIDNIGHT. NEAR THE PASS...WEST
                    WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH
                    EARLY IN THE EVENING DECREASING TO NORTHWEST 15 TO
                    25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
RIDGE TOP WIND......NORTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50
                    MPH DECREASING TO 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40
                    MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
MIXING HEIGHT.......500 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........WEST AROUND 40 MPH DECREASING TO 25 MPH AFTER
                    MIDNIGHT.

.SUNDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY.
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....60-65.
MIN HUMIDITY........18-23 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........AT MORE PROTECTED LOWER ELEVATIONS...NORTH WINDS
                    5 TO 15 MPH INCREASING TO EAST 10 TO 20 MPH
                    AROUND NOON. NEAR THE PASS...NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO
                    25 MPH SHIFTING TO THE EAST AROUND NOON.
RIDGE TOP WIND......NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......4500 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........WEST AROUND 20 MPH.

$$
FORECASTER...COULSTON
REQUESTED BY...SONNY STIGER
TYPE OF REQUEST...WILDFIRE
.TAG 20090926.MACDO.01/TFX