FNUS71 KRNK 211113 FWSRNK SPOT FORECAST FOR SANDSTONE RX...NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 713 AM EDT WED MAR 21 2012 FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 0930 EDT ON MARCH 22. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DISCUSSION... EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE IN THE OVERALL WEATHER PATTERN THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK WEEK AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SITS OVER THE REGION MAINTAINING UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES. THIS WARMTH IS AIDING IN THE GREEN-UP PROCESS AND IT IS ESTIMATED THE GROWING SEASON IS RUNNING ABOUT 3 WEEKS AHEAD OF NORMAL. A DAILY THREAT FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED AS A VERY SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PASSES SOUTHWARD ALONG THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. SHOWERS WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD FOR THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM TEXAS INTO THE OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS. PENDING MOISTURE RECEIVED TODAY AND SCATTERED NATURE OF SHOWER ACTIVITY ANTICIPATED THURSDAY OR FRIDAY...THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PRESCRIBED BURNING FOR EITHER THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. THE WEEKEND WILL BE A WASH...FOLLOWED BY A DRYING TREND THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. NEXT BURN WINDOW SHOULD OPEN UP FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. TRANSPORT WINDS WILL REMAIN QUITE LIGHT AND VARIABLE THURSDAY MORNING...BECOMING MOSTLY FROM THE WEST BUT STILL BELOW 10 MPH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER MIXING HEIGHTS SHOULD REMAIN HIGH ALLOWING SMOKE TO DISPERSE TO A LAYER WELL ABOVE THE SURFACE. GOOD DRYING EXPECTED AGAIN TODAY OUTSIDE OF STORMS...WITH LESS SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE ON THURSDAY ALLOWING TEMPS TO SOAR BACK TO AROUND 80 IF NOT WARMER. .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY (35-45 PERCENT)...THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY (70-80 PERCENT). A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 80. MIN HUMIDITY........41 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS...BECOMING SOUTH AROUND 5 MPH LATE. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. CWR (0.01 IN).......40 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......1400 FT AGL...INCREASING TO 6300 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST 3 TO 9 MPH. TIME (EDT) 6 AM 8 AM 10 AM NOON 2 PM 4 PM SKY (%).............13 16 32 49 65 78 WEATHER COV......... S CHC CHANCE CHANCE WEATHER TYPE........NONE NONE NONE RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR TSTM COV............ S CHC CHANCE CHANCE TEMP................55 56 62 70 75 77 RH..................84 84 70 54 48 43 20 FT WIND..........E 1 E 1 S 2 S 2 W 2 S 4 20 FT WIND GUST..... 5 5 5 10 CWR.................10 10 10 20 30 40 .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY (60-70 PERCENT)...THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY (40-50 PERCENT). A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE EVENING...THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS LATE IN THE EVENING. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. MIN TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 53. MAX HUMIDITY........91 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE...THEN BECOMING SOUTHEAST AROUND 5 MPH LATE IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE EVENING. CWR (0.01 IN).......30 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......4500 FT AGL...DECREASING TO 300 FT AGL EARLY IN THE EVENING. TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTH 5 TO 14 MPH...BECOMING SOUTHEAST AROUND 3 MPH LATE. TIME (EDT) 6 PM 8 PM 10 PM MIDNGT 2 AM 4 AM SKY (%).............73 55 47 47 49 45 WEATHER COV.........CHANCE CHANCE S CHC S CHC WEATHER TYPE........RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR NONE RNSHWR NONE TSTM COV............CHANCE CHANCE TEMP................76 71 67 64 61 59 RH..................45 53 60 67 73 78 20 FT WIND..........SE 4 SE 2 SE 3 SE 3 SE 2 SE 2 20 FT WIND GUST.....5 5 5 5 5 5 CWR.................30 30 20 10 20 10 .THURSDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY (40-50 PERCENT). MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 83. MIN HUMIDITY........36 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. CWR (0.01 IN).......20 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......2000 FT AGL...INCREASING TO 7800 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST 1 TO 5 MPH. TIME (EDT) 6 AM 8 AM 10 AM NOON 2 PM 4 PM SKY (%).............44 41 40 44 52 53 WEATHER COV......... S CHC S CHC S CHC WEATHER TYPE........NONE NONE NONE RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR TSTM COV............ S CHC S CHC TEMP................57 55 64 71 77 80 RH..................85 91 68 55 45 39 20 FT WIND..........SE 2 SE 2 SW 2 SW 2 W 2 NW 1 20 FT WIND GUST.....5 5 5 5 5 CWR.................10 10 10 20 20 20 $$ FORECASTER...HUDGINS REQUESTED BY...PEGGY AINSLIE TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED .TAG 20120322.SANDS.01/RNK