FNUS71 KRNK 120617 FWSRNK SPOT FORECAST FOR RICH HOLE FIRE...VA DEPT OF FIRE PROGRAMS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 217 AM EDT THU APR 12 2012 FORECAST IS BASED ON REQUEST TIME OF 0149 EDT ON APRIL 12. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DISCUSSION... ANY LINGERING CLOUDINESS EARLY THIS MORNING SHOULD FADE AFTER SUNRISE WITH NORTHWEST WINDS ALSO DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 MPH OR LESS BEFORE DAYBREAK. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ALLOWING FOR MORE SUNSHINE TODAY AND MILDER TEMPERATURES. DRY AIR IN PLACE WILL ALLOW HUMIDITY LEVELS TO AGAIN PLUMMET TO AROUND 20 PERCENT IN THE AFTERNOON BUT WINDS SHOULD BE LESS THAN THOSE SEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. HOWEVER STILL LOOKING AT SUSTAINED NORTHWEST WINDS AT 8 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20 MPH BY THIS AFTERNOON AS DEEPER MIXING DEVELOPS WITH HEATING. APPEARS HIGHER SPEEDS WILL BE OVER THE HIGHER RIDGE LINE WITH LESS GUSTINESS ALONG THE SOUTHEAST SLOPE. HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL START TO RECOVER SOME FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND AS THE HIGH SLIDES EAST AND SOUTHWEST RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS. HOWEVER...ON FRIDAY WITH THE HIGH OVERHEAD WINDS WILL DECOUPLE...ESPECIALLY IN SHELTERED VALLEYS...SO SMOKE MAY BE TRAPPED IN THE VALLEYS UNTIL THE INVERSION BREAKS FRIDAY MORNING. .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY (5-15 PERCENT). MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 53. MIXING HEIGHT.......1300 FT AGL...INCREASING TO 4800 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST AROUND 7 MPH...INCREASING TO NORTHWEST 13 TO 21 MPH. MIN HUMIDITY........20 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........NORTHWEST WINDS 7 TO 12 MPH. TIME (EDT) 6 AM 8 AM 10 AM NOON 2 PM 4 PM SKY (%).............15 5 0 5 16 12 WEATHER COV......... WEATHER TYPE........NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE TSTM COV............ TEMP................34 35 40 45 49 53 RH..................67 64 48 37 29 22 20 FT WIND..........W 5 W 5 W 5 NW 6 NW 9 NW 8 20 FT WIND GUST.....10 10 10 15 20 18 .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY (20-30 PERCENT). MIN TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 33. MAX HUMIDITY........73 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......1900 FT AGL...DECREASING TO 300 FT AGL EARLY IN THE EVENING. TRANSPORT WINDS.....NORTH 12 TO 18 MPH. WIND (20 FT)........WEST WINDS 5 TO 7 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE. TIME (EDT) 6 PM 8 PM 10 PM MIDNGT 2 AM 4 AM SKY (%).............14 21 16 18 26 36 WEATHER COV......... WEATHER TYPE........NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE TSTM COV............ TEMP................53 48 44 40 37 35 RH..................27 38 45 53 62 68 20 FT WIND..........NW 6 W 4 W 3 W 3 W 2 W 2 20 FT WIND GUST.....15 10 10 5 5 5 .FRIDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY (20-30 PERCENT). WIDESPREAD FROST EARLY IN THE MORNING. MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 57. MIN HUMIDITY........35 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......1500 FT AGL...INCREASING TO 4400 FT AGL IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST 2 TO 8 MPH. WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS...BECOMING SOUTHWEST AROUND 5 MPH LATE. TIME (EDT) 6 AM 8 AM 10 AM NOON 2 PM 4 PM SKY (%).............37 13 12 12 13 15 WEATHER COV......... WEATHER TYPE........NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE TSTM COV............ TEMP................34 36 43 48 52 55 RH..................72 71 55 45 39 36 20 FT WIND..........W 2 NW 3 N 3 NW 2 SW 2 SW 3 20 FT WIND GUST..... 5 5 5 5 5 $$ FORECASTER...HUDGINS REQUESTED BY...TIM ESTES TYPE OF REQUEST...WILDFIRE .TAG 20120412.RICHH.02/RNK