FNUS76 KSEW 140138
FWSSEW

SPOT FORECAST FOR HOPPER...NPS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
638 PM PDT FRI AUG 13 2010

FORECAST IS BASED ON REQUEST TIME OF 1927 MDT ON AUGUST 13.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN SEATTLE.

.DISCUSSION...A CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER EPISODE FOR WESTERN
WASHINGTON HAS BEGUN AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY.
MODERATE NORTHEAST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON ARE SPREADING A HOTTER
AND DRIER CONTINENTAL AIR MASS INTO THE AREA TODAY. TRUER EAST
WIND WILL DEVELOP ON SATURDAY MORNING...CAUSING EVEN HOTTER AND
DRIER WEATHER WHILE INCREASING EAST WIND FOR THE CASCADE
FOOTHILLS DURING THE MORNING.

ALL THE WHILE...A THERMAL PRESSURE TROUGH HAS DEVELOPED NEAR THE
COAST. IT WILL STRENGTHEN SATURDAY AND THEN MOVE INLAND OVER THE
OLYMPIC PENINSULA SUNDAY. IT SHOULD REACH THE I-5 CORRIDOR ON
MONDAY. THIS WILL BRING AN UNSTABLE LOW-LEVEL ENVIRONMENT
STARTING TONIGHT WITH INSTABILITY INCREASING THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
WIDESPREAD MID-LEVEL HAINES 5 CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH A HIGH
6 MIXED IN AT TIMES THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY.

FUELS WILL DRY RAPIDLY THROUGH MONDAY GIVEN THE SUNNY...DRY...
UNSTABLE AND LOCALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS.

THIS FIRE SEEMS TO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME QUITE SERIOUS. CALL
THE NWS DIRECTLY AT 206-526-6083 TO TALK IF YOU WANT.

 FORECAST FOR 20 FOOT WIND SPEED (VALLEYS AND RIDGE TOPS) ARE 10
 MINUTE AVERAGES REFLECTING RAWS WINDS.

.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........CLEAR.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 54.
MAX HUMIDITY........64 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........
 LWR SLP/VALLEY.....NORTHEAST WINDS 6 TO 9 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......3000 FT AGL DECREASING TO 0 FT AGL LATE IN THE
                    EVENING.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....EAST AROUND 13 MPH.
HAINES INDEX........4 OR LOW.

.SATURDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 83.
MIN HUMIDITY........26 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........
 LWR SLP/VALLEY.....NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......0 FT AGL INCREASING TO 4700 FT AGL LATE IN THE
                    MORNING.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....EAST AROUND 16 MPH.
HAINES INDEX........4 OR LOW.

$$
FORECASTER...BURKE
REQUESTED BY...TODD RANKIN
TYPE OF REQUEST...WILDFIRE
.TAG 20100813.HOPPE.01/SEW