FNUS75 KGJT 082243
FWSGJT

SPOT FORECAST FOR BUCKEYE PILE RX...USDA FOREST SERVICE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
343 PM MST FRI MAR 8 2013

FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 1100 MST ON MARCH 09.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

.DISCUSSION...
THIS WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING OUT OF THE FOUR CORNERS
REGION TO THE SOUTHEAST COLORADO SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WILL PULL
A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION IN THE AFTERNOON AND BRING SOUTHWEST
WINDS AROUND TO THE WEST THEN NORTHWEST THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON
HOURS. NUMEROUS TO SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE
DAY THOUGH WITH THE BETTER SNOW ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED AHEAD OF AND
WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. DRIER AIR WILL WORK IN BEHIND THE FRONT
SATURDAY EVENING WITH THE SNOW SHOWERS GRADUALLY DIMINISHING AND
CLEARER SKIES MOVING IN. MAINLY CLEAR SKIES BY SUNRISE SUNDAY WILL
PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY WITH WINDS MIXING OUT TO THE NORTH BY
LATE MORNING.

.SATURDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (90-100%) WITH SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH THE
                    DAY.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....30-35 F.
MIN HUMIDITY........57-62%.
20-FOOT WINDS.......SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 8 MPH IN THE MORNING
                    BECOMING WEST THEN NORTHWEST FROM NOON MST
                    TO 1400 MST AND INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 MPH WITH
                    A FEW GUSTS TO 30 MPH.
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR THROUGH LATE MORNING THEN INCREASING TO FAIR
                    BY 1200 MST.
CLEARING INDEX......450 LATE IN THE MORNING...THEN INCREASING TO 1050
                    BY 1200 MST.
HAINES INDEX........2 OR VERY LOW.
LAL.................1.
MIXING HEIGHT.......2000 FT AGL OR LESS THROUGH 1000 MST THEN
                    INCREASING TO 4600 FT AGL BY 1300 MST.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTHWEST AT 5 TO 8 MPH THROUGH 1000 MST THEN
                    BECOMING WEST 12 MPH AT 1200 MST...SHIFTING TO THE
                    NORTHWEST 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

.SATURDAY NIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (80-90%) WITH NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS IN THE
                    EVENING THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY (40-50%) WITH
                    ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....16-21 F.
MAX HUMIDITY........68-73%.
20-FOOT WINDS.......NORTHWEST 16 TO 21 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH
                    IN THE EVENING BECOMING DOWNSLOPE AT 5 TO 8 MPH
                    BY 0300 MST.
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....VERY GOOD EARLY IN THE EVENING DECREASING TO POOR
                    AFTER MIDNIGHT.
CLEARING INDEX......1050 EARLY IN THE EVENING THEN DECREASING TO 300
                    AFTER MIDNIGHT.
HAINES INDEX........3 VERY LOW.
LAL.................1.
MIXING HEIGHT.......4000 FT AGL THROUGH EARLY EVENING THEN DECREASING
                    TO 1000-1500 FT AGL AFTER MIDNIGHT.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....NORTHEAST 33 MPH THROUGH MID EVENING THEN BECOMING
                    DOWNSLOPE AT 5 TO 8 MPH BY 0300 MST.

.SUNDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY (10-20%).
MAX TEMPERATURE.....32-37 F.
MIN HUMIDITY........35-40%.
20-FOOT WINDS.......TERRAIN DRIVING WINDS AT 7 MPH OR LESS THROUGH 1100
                    MST THEN BECOMING NORTH WINDS 13 TO 18 MPH.
                    GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH POSSIBLE IN THE AFTERNOON.
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR THROUGH 1200 MST...THEN INCREASING TO FAIR
                    BY EARLY AFTERNOON.
CLEARING INDEX......200 THROUGH 1200 MST...THEN INCREASING TO 550.
HAINES INDEX........3 VERY LOW.
LAL.................1.
MIXING HEIGHT.......1500 FT AGL OR LESS THROUGH MID MORNING THEN
                    INCREASING TO NEAR 4000 FT AGL BY EARLY AFTERNOON.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....TERRAIN DRIVEN THROUGH 1100 MST THEN INCREASING TO
                    NORTHEAST AT 23 MPH.

$$
FORECASTER...DENNIS PHILLIPS
REQUESTED BY...MARK ATWOOD
TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED
.TAG 20130309.BUCKE.01/GJT