FNUS75 KTFX 250101
FWSTFX

SPOT FORECAST FOR SOUTH FORK SUN RIVER RX PHASE III...USFS:  LEWIS & CLARK NF
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
701 PM MDT SAT SEP 24 2011

FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 1200 MDT ON SEPTEMBER 25.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING...

.DISCUSSION...
A SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL MAINTAIN VERY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE DRIVEN BY THE TERRAIN IN
STEEPER COUNTRY WITH A SOUTHERLY FLOW AFFECTING EXPOSED AREAS AND
RIDGES. A THERMAL BELT IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES
AND LESSER HUMIDITY RECOVERIES AT MID SLOPE AND RIDGE LOCATIONS.

WINDS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST ON
SUNDAY AND A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST BY THE MIDDLE
OF SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE BETWEEN
1500 AND 1800 AND PROBABLY CLOSER TO 1500 THAN 1800. WINDS WILL SHIFT
TO THE WEST BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AND POSSIBLY EVEN TO THE
NORTHWEST. GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE AT EXPOSED HIGHER
ELEVATIONS AFTER THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL
AND HUMIDITY WILL INCREASE BEHIND THE FRONT LATE SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. ANY
THREAT OF SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL LATE SUNDAY NIGHT.


.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLEAR.
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....48-53...53-58 MID SLOPES TO RIDGETOPS.
MAX HUMIDITY........42-47 PERCENT...35 TO 40 PERCENT MID SLOPES
                    TO RIDGETOPS.
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH...DOWNSLOPE UP TO
                    5 MPH IN STEEPER TERRAIN.
RIDGE TOP WIND......SOUTH WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......LOWERING TO LESS THAN 1000 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........SOUTH 10 TO 15 MPH.

.SUNDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY WITH INCREASING CLOUDS LATER IN
                    THE AFTERNOON.
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....72-77 LOWER SLOPES...65-70 RIDGETOPS.
                    TEMPERATURES FALLING LATE IN THE AFTERNOON.
MIN HUMIDITY........14-19 PERCENT...20 TO 25 PERCENT RIDGETOPS.
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH WINDS AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE
                    SOUTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30
                    MPH EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON THEN TO THE WEST
                    10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH LATE IN THE
                    AFTERNOON.
RIDGE TOP WIND......SOUTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH SHIFTING TO THE WEST 15
                    TO 20 MPH LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS TO 30 MPH
                    DURING THE AFTERNOON.
MIXING HEIGHT.......9000 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........SOUTHWEST AROUND 20 MPH.

$$
FORECASTER...BLANK
REQUESTED BY...GREAT FALLS DISPATCH
TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED
.TAG 20110925.SOUTH.01/TFX