FNUS75 KTFX 031958
FWSTFX

SPOT FORECAST FOR ELBOW PASS COMPLEX...GREAT FALLS DISPATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
158 PM MDT MON SEP 3 2012

FORECAST IS BASED ON REQUEST TIME OF 1336 MDT ON SEPTEMBER 03.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING...

.DISCUSSION...
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES (NEAR TO JUST BELOW 20 PERCENT IN THE
AFTERNOON) AND WEST WINDS POSSIBLY GUSTING UP TO 35 MPH AT TIMES WILL
CONTINUE OVER THE FIRE AREA INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. A SHORTWAVE
TROUGH WILL MOVE SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT...BRINGING
INCREASING MID LEVEL CLOUDINESS (BUT VERY LITTLE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS).
WINDS WILL DECREASE AND SHIFT MORE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST LATER TONIGHT
INTO TUESDAY MORNING AS THE SHORTWAVE APPROACHES AND THEN MOVES
THROUGH THE AREA...BUT THEY WILL REMAIN GUSTY THROUGH THE DAY ON
TUESDAY (GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH). OVERNIGHT RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL
REMAIN SOMEWHAT MODERATE. SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR WILL ALSO MOVE INTO THE
FIRE AREA TUESDAY...WHICH WILL HELP KEEP RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ABOVE 20
PERCENT DURING THE AFTERNOON.  COULSTON


.REST OF TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY.
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
LAL.................1.
HAINES INDEX........2 VERY LOW.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....69-74 VALLEYS...62-67 RIDGES
MIN HUMIDITY........17-22 PERCENT VALLEYS...22-27 PERCENT RIDGES.
WIND (20 FT)........WEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH.
RIDGE TOP WIND......WEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH.
INVERSION...........NONE.

.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY.
                    SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS
                    AFTER MIDNIGHT.
CWR.................5 PERCENT.
LAL.................1.
HAINES INDEX........3 VERY LOW.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....36-41.
MAX HUMIDITY........67-77 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........WEST WINDS 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH
                    UNTIL 2200 MDT...THEN BECOMING DOWNSLOPE/DOWN
                    VALLEY 5 TO 10 MPH BY 0100 MDT.
RIDGE TOP WIND......WEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH.
INVERSION...........6500 TO 7500 FEET MSL DEVELOPING BY 0100 MDT.

.TUESDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS
                    IN THE MOUNTAINS IN THE MORNING.
CWR.................5 PERCENT.
LAL.................1.
HAINES INDEX........3 VERY LOW.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....59-66.
MIN HUMIDITY........23-32 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS IN THE MORNING
                    BECOMING NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
                    30 MPH BY AROUND 1100 MDT.
RIDGE TOP WIND......NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH.
INVERSION...........BREAKING BETWEEN 0900 AND 1100 MDT.

$$
FORECASTER...COULSTON
REQUESTED BY...GREAT FALLS DISPATCH
TYPE OF REQUEST...WILDFIRE
.TAG 20120903.ELBOW.02/TFX