FNUS75 KBYZ 261611
FWSBYZ

SPOT FORECAST FOR PICKET PIN...USFS, CUSTER, BEARTOOTH RD
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1011 AM MDT MON MAR 26 2012

FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 0920 MDT ON MARCH 26.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

.DISCUSSION...
WARMER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH READINGS PUSHING INTO THE
MID 60S AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT. LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS THIS MORNING
WILL BECOME WEST SOUTHWEST BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...THEN SWITCH TO
MORE OF A WEST SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION BEHIND THE FRONT LATE THIS
AFTERNOON/EVENING. GUSTS TO 30 MPH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...INCREASING
TO 40 TO 45 MPH LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THERE WILL BE
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT.
HUMIDITIES WILL DROP AS LOW AS 20 TO 25 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON...WITH
GOOD RECOVERY TO NEAR 75 PERCENT TONIGHT. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS BEHIND
THE COLD FRONT WILL TAPER OFF OVERNIGHT...AS WINDS GRADUALLY WEAKEN.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING
INTO THE UPPER 40S/LOW 50S. WINDS WILL BE SOUTHWESTERLY TUESDAY WITH
GUSTS TO NEAR 25 MPH. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES ON TUESDAY WILL BE CLOSE TO
35 PERCENT. ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO CENTRAL MONTANA
BY LATE IN THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY...INCREASING THE CHANCES OF SHOWERS
DURING THE AFTERNOON. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES WILL DROP TO 20 TO 25 PERCENT
ON WEDNESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR 60 AND SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 10
TO 20 MPH.

.TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY WITH A FEW RAIN SHOWERS IN THE
                    MORNING...THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED
                    THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
CWR.................31 PERCENT.
LAL.................3...9 TO 15 STRIKES/15 MIN/CELL.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....61-66.
MIN HUMIDITY........20-25 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........
 SLOPE/VALLEY.......EAST SOUTHEAST 5 TO 15 MPH. BECOMING SOUTHWEST
                    15 TO 30 MPH. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED
                    NEAR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
 RIDGETOP...........SOUTHWEST 25 TO 40 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......7500 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........SOUTHWEST 25 TO 40 MPH.

.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
                    THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING...THEN SCATTERED
                    RAIN SHOWERS AND SNOW SHOWERS OVERNIGHT.
CWR.................24 PERCENT.
LAL.................3...9 TO 15 STRIKES/15 MIN/CELL.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....32-37.
MAX HUMIDITY........71-76 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........
 SLOPE/VALLEY.......SOUTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
                    AROUND 45 MPH. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED
                    NEAR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING.
 RIDGETOP...........WEST 50 TO 70 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......300 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........WEST 30 TO 45 MPH.

.TUESDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY.
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
LAL.................1...NO THUNDERSTORMS.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....47-52.
MIN HUMIDITY........35-40 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........
 SLOPE/VALLEY.......SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH.
 RIDGETOP...........WEST 25 TO 35 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......11400 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........WEST 20 TO 30 MPH.

$$
FORECASTER...CAMPBELL/BORSUM
REQUESTED BY...DREW GRIMES
TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED
.TAG 20120326.PICKE.01/BYZ