FNUS75 KRIW 060953 FWSRIW SPOT FORECAST FOR NORTH BUFFALO...USFS BTF NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 353 AM MDT THU SEP 6 2012 FORECAST IS BASED ON REQUEST TIME OF 1903 MDT ON SEPTEMBER 05. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DISCUSSION... A STORM SYSTEM EARLY THIS MORNING OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES OF MONTANA AND IDAHO WILL GRADUALLY SLIDE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT. CLOUDS WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY LATER THIS MORNING WITH A MOSTLY CLOUDY SKY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH ISOLATED RAIN SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORM. THE LOWEST HUMIDITY ON THE FIRE IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR AROUND MIDDAY TO EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH INCREASING HUMIDITY DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. BREEZY WESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED AFTER THE MORNING INVERSION BREAKS TODAY...WITH THE WIND SHIFT FROM THE COLD FRONT NOT OCCURRING UNTIL ABOUT 8 PM THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO DISSIPATE BY THE TIME IT REACHES THE WILDFIRE AREA...WITH A MODEST NORTHEAST TO EAST WIND EXPECTED AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE. DRY AND MILD CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY WITH MAINLY LIGHT AND TERRAIN DRIVEN WINDS. WARMER AND LOWER HUMIDITY WILL OCCUR SATURDAY...BUT WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN LIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORMS IMPLY STRONG GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS... ...HAINES INDEX IS HIGH LEVEL HAINES BOTH DAY AND NIGHT... FORECASTER...MURRELL .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY (30-40 PERCENT) THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY (85 PERCENT) BY EARLY AFTERNOON. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. MAX TEMPERATURE.....69 AT 7500 FT. 52 AT 10000 FT. MIN HUMIDITY........18 PERCENT AT 7500 FT. INCREASING AFTER 2 PM. 30 PERCENT AT 10000 FT. INCREASING AFTER 2 PM. 20 FOOT WINDS.......LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS...BECOMING SOUTHWEST AROUND 10 MPH BY 11 AM...THEN WEST 10-15 MPH AROUND 2 PM. GUSTS TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED NEAR ANY THUNDERSTORM IN THE AFTERNOON. RIDGE TOP WINDS.....WEST 20-30 MPH. LAL.................1 UNTIL 1200...THEN 2. CHC OF WETTING RAIN.LESS THAN 5 PERCENT. HAINES INDEX........4 OR LOW POTENTIAL FOR LARGE PLUME DOMINATED FIRE GROWTH. .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY (85 PERCENT) THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY (50-60 PERCENT) AFTER 3 AM. ISOLATED RAIN SHOWERS THROUGH 3 AM. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE THROUGH 8 PM. MIN TEMPERATURE.....35-40. MAX HUMIDITY........80 PERCENT ALL ELEVATIONS. 20 FOOT WINDS.......WEST NORTHWEST 5-10 MPH...BECOMING NORTHEAST TO EAST AROUND 10 MPH AROUND 8 PM. GUSTS TO 15 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT. RIDGE TOP WINDS.....WEST TO NORTHWEST 5-10 MPH. LAL.................2 UNTIL 8 PM...THEN 1. CHC OF WETTING RAIN.LESS THAN 5 PERCENT. HAINES INDEX........3 OR VERY LOW POTENTIAL FOR LARGE PLUME DOMINATED FIRE GROWTH. .FRIDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY (40 PERCENT) THEN BECOMING MOSTLY SUNNY (20 PERCENT). MAX TEMPERATURE.....70 AT 7500 FT. 55 AT 10000 FT. MIN HUMIDITY........20 PERCENT AT 7500 FT. 30 PERCENT AT 10000 FT. 20 FOOT WINDS.......EAST 5-10 MPH...BECOMING UPSLOPE/UPVALLEY 4-8 MPH BY AROUND 10 AM. RIDGE TOP WINDS.....WEST NORTHWEST 5-10 MPH. LAL.................1. CHC OF WETTING RAIN.ZERO PERCENT. HAINES INDEX........3 OR VERY LOW POTENTIAL FOR LARGE PLUME DOMINATED FIRE GROWTH. .FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 5... .FRIDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S. WINDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 MPH. .SATURDAY...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE LOWER 40S. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60S. WINDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 MPH. .SUNDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S. WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 10-15 MPH. GUSTS TO 25 MPH. .MONDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S. HIGHS AROUND 70. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10-20 MPH. GUSTS TO 30 MPH. $$ FORECASTER...MURRELL REQUESTED BY...ROD DYKEHOUSE REASON FOR REQUEST...WILDFIRE .TAG 20120905.NORTH.01/RIW