FNUS73 KMPX 011343 FWSMPX SPOT FORECAST FOR SHERBURNE PILES...USFWS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 743 AM CST THU MAR 1 2012 FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 0750 CST ON MARCH 01. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DISCUSSION... A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA THIS MORNING WILL DRIFT EAST THROUGH THE DAY AS A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS TROUGH AND A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT... BRINGING A CHANCE FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP ON FRIDAY IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM. FOR TODAY... WINDS WILL BE VERY LIGHT AND VARIABLE THIS MORNING... BUT ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SOUTHERLY THIS AFTERNOON... ALTHOUGH THEY WILL REMAIN LIGHT AT UNDER 10 MPH. LOCAL VARIATIONS IN WIND DIRECTION COULD DEFINITELY OCCUR GIVEN THE LACK OF A PRESSURE GRADIENT IN THE AREA. .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SNOW 60 PERCENT. TEMPERATURE.........29 AT IGNITION...MAX 34. RH..................92 PERCENT AT IGNITION...MIN 75 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........WINDS WEST AT 1 MPH AT IGNITION...OTHERWISE LIGHT WINDS BECOMING SOUTHEAST AROUND 5 MPH EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. HAINES INDEX........2 OR VERY LOW AT IGNITION...MAX 3. SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR TO FAIR (2600-19400). MIXING HEIGHT.......2300-3000 FT AGL. MIXING WINDS........SOUTHEAST 1 TO 9 MPH. TIME (CST) 7 AM 9 AM 11 AM 1 PM 3 PM 5 PM SKY (%).........CLOUDY CLOUDY MCLDY MCLDY CLOUDY CLOUDY WEATHER COV..... WEATHER TYPE....NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE TEMP............29 30 31 33 34 33 RH..............92 85 81 75 75 78 20 FT WIND......W 1 SW 2 S 3 S 4 S 5 SE 5 20 FT WIND GUST. 5 5 HAINES INDEX....2 2 2 2 2 3 .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN CHANCE OF SNOW LATE IN THE EVENING. CHANCE OF SNOW 60 PERCENT. TEMPERATURE.........MIN 23. RH..................MAX 100 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING BECOMING LIGHT. SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR TO FAIR (400-13300). MIXING HEIGHT.......300-2000 FT AGL. MIXING WINDS........NORTH 1 TO 9 MPH. .FRIDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SNOW LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SNOW 30 PERCENT. TEMPERATURE.........MAX 34. RH..................MIN 69 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT WINDS BECOMING WEST 5 TO 10 MPH IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. HAINES INDEX........3 TO 4 OR OR VERY LOW TO OR LOW. SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR TO GOOD (1600-45400). MIXING HEIGHT.......600-2500 FT AGL INCREASING TO 2000-3300 FT AGL IN THE AFTERNOON...THEN DECREASING TO 1300 FT AGL LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. MIXING WINDS........NORTHWEST 3 TO 12 MPH INCREASING TO 14 TO 22 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. $$ FORECASTER...HULTQUIST REQUESTED BY...ERIC JOHNSON TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED .TAG 20120301.SHERB.01/MPX