FNUS73 KLBF 121204 FWSLBF SPOT FORECAST FOR ROCK COUNTY COMPLEX...USFWS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 704 AM CDT MON MAR 12 2012 FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 1100 CDT ON MARCH 12. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING... .DISCUSSION... EXPECT WEST OR NORTHWEST WINDS AT 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 20 MPH POSSIBLE THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL DIMINISH SLIGHTLY THIS AFTERNOON TO AROUND 10 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 15 MPH. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS WITH SPEEDS UNDER 10 MPH ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT. ON TUESDAY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 10 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. WINDS COMBINED WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY AROUND 15 PERCENT...WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE DANGER TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WITH FULL SUN TODAY...FUELS WILL DRY OUT IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN AREAS...AND ARE EXPECTED TO BE CURED ON TUESDAY. DRY FUELS...ALONG WITH NEAR RECORD HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...AND GUSTY WINDS WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL OR NEAR CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS TUESDAY. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA FROM LATE TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. NEAR CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY ACROSS ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND FOR WESTERN LOCATIONS THROUGH FRIDAY. ON THURSDAY...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO PUSH INTO CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA...ALLEVIATING THE FIRE DANGER THREAT. .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY SUNNY THEN BECOMING SUNNY. TEMPERATURE.........52 AT IGNITION...MAX 67. RH..................50 PERCENT AT IGNITION...MIN 25 PERCENT. EYE LEVEL WINDS.....NORTHWEST WINDS 7 TO 15 MPH. WIND (20 FT)........WINDS WEST AT 10 MPH AT IGNITION...OTHERWISE NORTHWEST WINDS 7 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20 MPH. LAL.................1. HAINES INDEX........4 LOW AT IGNITION...MAX 4. MIXING HEIGHT.......900-2300 FT AGL UNTIL 1000. 4400-5200 FT AGL AFTER 1300. TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTHWEST 10 TO 18 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 20 TO 26 MPH IN THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN DECREASING TO 13 TO 16 MPH LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SMOKE DISPERSAL.....FAIR INCREASING TO VERY GOOD IN THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN DECREASING TO GOOD LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLEAR. TEMPERATURE.........MIN 40. RH..................MAX 70 PERCENT. EYE LEVEL WINDS.....NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTH 5 TO 6 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING. WIND (20 FT)........NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTH 5 TO 6 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING. LAL.................1. HAINES INDEX........2 TO 3 OR VERY LOW. MIXING HEIGHT.......2300-4200 FT AGL UNTIL 2300...THEN 300-1600 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST 8 TO 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTH 7 TO 8 MPH IN THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR. .TUESDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY. TEMPERATURE.........MAX 77. RH..................MIN 15 PERCENT. EYE LEVEL WINDS.....SOUTH WINDS 6 TO 15 MPH INCREASING TO 14 TO 17 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH WINDS 6 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH INCREASING TO 14 TO 17 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. LAL.................1. HAINES INDEX........2 TO 5 OR VERY LOW TO MODERATE. MIXING HEIGHT.......300-1800 FT AGL UNTIL 1000...THEN 2500-3900 FT AGL UNTIL 1300...THEN 3000-4600 FT AGL UNTIL 1700...THEN 1900-2400 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTH 9 TO 17 MPH INCREASING TO 21 TO 26 MPH IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR INCREASING TO VERY GOOD IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. $$ FORECASTER...BUTTLER REQUESTED BY...LEE JENSEN TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED .TAG 20120312.ROCKC.01/LBF