FNUS75 KMSO 241709
FWSMSO

SPOT FORECAST FOR BARTON GULCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
1109 AM MDT SAT APR 24 2010

FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 1100 MDT ON APRIL 24.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

.DISCUSSION...WEAK SURFACE RIDGE WILL GIVE WAY TO AN APPROACHING
SURFACE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. AN INCREASE PRESSURE GRADIENT WITH
THIS FEATURE WILL INCREASE WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST THIS
AFTERNOON. GIVEN THE DRAINAGE JUST NORTH OF THE FIRE...COULD SEE
WINDS MORE WESTERLY AND SOME CHANNELING OF THE WINDS FOR HIGHER
GUSTS. WITH THE FIRE BEING SHELTERED...MUCH LESS WIND AFFECTS WILL
BE FELT ON THE FIRE...BUT ABOVE THE CANOPY WILL BE WINDY. THE
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS OVER THE FIRE BY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY
EVENING. THIS PASSAGE WILL ALSO BE THE BEST TIME FOR PRECIPITATION
ON THE FIRE...BETWEEN 1700-1900 MDT...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR
THE FIRE THROUGH MIDNIGHT. A NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND THIS FEATURE
WILL KEEP UNSETTLED AND COOL CONDITIONS THROUGH SUNDAY WITH MORE
WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON...BUT NOT AS HIGH AS TODAY.

.TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN
                    THE AFTERNOON.
CWR.................20 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....47-52.
MIN HUMIDITY........28-33 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........UPSLOPE 2-4MPH...INCREASING TO 7-10 MPH AFTER
                    1300 MDT. 20 FOOT WINDS...GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH
                    IN THE AFTERNOON.
MIXING HEIGHT.......5800 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........SOUTHWEST 15 MPH.

.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE
                    EVENING...THEN SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS
                    AFTER MIDNIGHT.
CWR.................10 PERCENT.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....28-33.
MAX HUMIDITY........85-90 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........WEST WINDS 6-8 MPH IN THE EVENING...BECOMING
                    DOWNSLOPE 2-4 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
MIXING HEIGHT.......1300 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........WEST 15 MPH.

.SUNDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS...MAINLY
                    IN THE AFTERNOON.
CWR.................10 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....39-44.
MIN HUMIDITY........38-43 PERCENT.
MIXING HEIGHT.......8000 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........WEST 10 MPH.

$$
FORECASTER...MEAD
REQUESTED BY...DOUG
TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED
.TAG 20100424.BARTO.01/MSO