FNUS75 KRIW 242010 FWSRIW SPOT FORECAST FOR NORTON...FOREST SERVICE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 210 PM MDT WED AUG 24 2011 FORECAST IS BASED ON REQUEST TIME OF 1345 MDT ON AUGUST 24. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING... .DISCUSSION... A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE CONTINUES TO HOLD OVER THE SOUTHWEST. THE FIRE AREA IS RIGHT ALONG THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE...MAKING IT SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE INFLUENCE OF SHORT WAVE TROUGHS THAT LIKE TO MOVE ALONG THE OUTER EDGE OF THE HIGH. ONE OF THESE WAVES WILL BE MOVING BY THIS EVENING. AS OF EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...IT IS ENCOURAGING A FAIR AMOUNT OF DRY THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA INTO THE EVENING...RECEIVING A RE-ENFORCING SHOT AS ANOTHER WAVE GOES BY BETWEEN 1800 AND MIDNIGHT...BUT MOST OF THE ENERGY FROM THIS NEXT WAVE WILL REMAIN TO THE NORTH. THERE IS NOT A WHOLE LOT OF INSTABILITY PRESENT THIS EVENING FOR THE STORMS TO WORK WITH...WHICH WILL AID IN KEEPING THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WINDS MANAGEABLE BUT THE REENFORCING SHOT THIS EVENING WILL KEEP SOME STORMS GOING INTO THE NIGHT. THERE WILL BE GREATER INSTABILITY AND MORE MID LEVEL MOISTURE TO WORK WITH TOMORROW. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED...THE CHANCE OF WETTING RAINS REMAINS LOW. FLOW WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHWEST...TURNING WESTERLY THIS EVENING. EXPECT GUSTS TO 25 MPH AS THE DISTURBANCE APPROACHES THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL LIGHTEN AS MORNING APPROACHES BUT OVERALL FLOW WILL REMAIN FROM THE WEST. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY AND ERRATIC ON THURSDAY AND RHS WILL REMAIN LOW. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED TO COVER THESE CONDITIONS. ...THUNDERSTORMS IMPLY STRONG GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS... ...HAINES INDEX IS HIGH LEVEL HAINES BOTH DAY AND NIGHT... FORECASTER...ALLEN .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY (30-45 PERCENT). ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. AREAS OF SMOKE THROUGH THE NIGHT. MIN TEMPERATURE.....38-42 DEGREES. MAX HUMIDITY........50-55 PERCENT EXCEPT 28-33 AT MID SLOPE. 20 FOOT WINDS.......NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 8 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING BECOMING DOWNSLOPE/DOWNVALLEY 4-7 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 15 MPH. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. RIDGE TOP WINDS.....NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH BECOMING SOUTHWEST. LAL.................2 UNTIL 2400...THEN 1. CHC OF WETTING RAIN.LESS THAN 5 PERCENT. HAINES INDEX........5 OR MODERATE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE PLUME DOMINATED FIRE GROWTH. .THURSDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY (20-30 PERCENT) THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY (40-50 PERCENT). AREAS OF SMOKE IN THE MORNING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. MAX TEMPERATURE.....77-81. MIN HUMIDITY........14-17 PERCENT. 20 FOOT WINDS.......SOUTHWEST 12 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. RIDGE TOP WINDS.....WEST AROUND 15 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST 25 TO 30 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. LAL.................1 UNTIL 1200...THEN 2. CHC OF WETTING RAIN.LESS THAN 5 PERCENT. HAINES INDEX........5 OR MODERATE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE PLUME DOMINATED FIRE GROWTH. .FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 5... .THURSDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. LOWS AROUND 50. WINDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 MPH. .FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS AROUND 50. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S. WINDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 MPH. .SATURDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. HIGHS IN THE MID 70S. WINDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 MPH. .SUNDAY...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE LOWER 40S. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S. WINDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 MPH. .MONDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S. WINDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 MPH. $$ FORECASTER...ALLEN REQUESTED BY...SLAGOWSKI REASON FOR REQUEST...WILDFIRE .TAG 20110824.NORTO.01/RIW