FNUS73 KMPX 111259
FWSMPX

SPOT FORECAST FOR COTTONWOOD RIVER SNA...MN DNR
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
759 AM CDT WED APR 11 2012

FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 1000 CDT ON APRIL 11.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

.DISCUSSION...
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER WESTERN
MINNESOTA...AND THIS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEAR SKIES ALL
ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST THIS MORNING. THE OBSERVED WESTERLY
WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND LIKELY BECOME CALM/VARIABLE AS THE
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES SOUTHEAST THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
THIS EVENING THE WINDS WILL SHIFT AND BECOME SOUTHEASTERLY.
TOMORROW THERE WILL BE INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS AND A CHANCE
OF SHOWERS WITH POSSIBLY AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. RH VALUES
WILL BE VERY LOW THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THE LIGHT WIND WILL
LIMIT THE FIRE SPREAD POTENTIAL.

.TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY. AREAS OF FROST EARLY IN THE
                    MORNING.
TEMPERATURE.........36 AT IGNITION...MAX 53.
RH..................45 PERCENT AT IGNITION...MIN 20 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........WINDS NORTHWEST AT 4 MPH AT IGNITION...OTHERWISE
                    NORTH WINDS AROUND 5 MPH EARLY IN THE MORNING
                    BECOMING LIGHT...THEN BECOMING NORTH AROUND 5
                    MPH EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON BECOMING LIGHT.
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR TO FAIR (2200-18500).
MIXING HEIGHT.......300-2200 FT AGL INCREASING TO 5000-5500 FT AGL.
MIXING WINDS........NORTHEAST 3 TO 12 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST
                    1 TO 2 MPH EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON.

TIME (CDT)      8 AM   10 AM  NOON   2 PM   4 PM   6 PM
SKY (%).........MCLEAR MCLEAR MCLEAR MCLEAR MCLEAR MCLEAR
WEATHER COV.....AREAS
WEATHER TYPE....FROST  NONE   NONE   NONE   NONE   NONE
TEMP............28     36     43     49     52     53
RH..............54     40     30     23     20     23
20 FT WIND......W 5    NW 4   NNW 4  N 2    NE 3   E 4
20 FT WIND GUST.       5      5      5      5      5

.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLEAR.
TEMPERATURE.........MIN 33.
RH..................MAX 69 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 8 MPH.

.THURSDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY SUNNY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
                    THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF RAIN
                    50 PERCENT.
TEMPERATURE.........MAX 56.
RH..................MIN 39 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTHEAST WINDS 16 TO 21 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
                    AROUND 30 MPH.

$$
FORECASTER...BEITLICH
REQUESTED BY...BRAD BOLDUAN
TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED
.TAG 20120411.COTTO.01/MPX