FNUS71 KRNK 211242 FWSRNK SPOT FORECAST FOR JAMES RIVER STATE PARK...DCR STATE PARKS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 842 AM EDT THU MAR 21 2013 FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 1000 EDT ON MARCH 21. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DISCUSSION... ...FIRE DANGER LEVELS ELEVATED EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE THIS AFTERNOON... CLOUDS SHOULD CLEAR BY LATE MORNING AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES TO THE EAST. THIS WILL ALLOW NORTHWEST WINDS TO PICK UP ONCE AGAIN. WILL SEE GUSTS OVER 25 MPH AT TIMES. DESPITE THE COLDER AIR...HUMIDITY LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO PLUMMET TO NEAR 20 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON...AND PERHAPS AS LOW AS 15 PERCENT FOR A BRIEF PERIOD DURING MID AFTERNOON. THIS WILL CREATE ELEVATED FIRE DANGER LEVELS AND CONTINUE TO DRY OUT FUELS...ESPECIALLY THE FINE FUELS. HUMIDITY LEVELS RECOVER TONIGHT TO 5O TO 60 PERCENT BUT TEMPERATURES DROP TO FREEZING. FRIDAY WILL BE ANOTHER DRY DAY AS TEMPERATURES MODERATE. HUMIDITY LEVELS COULD DROP INTO THE TEENS. HOWEVER...WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN THE AREA...WIND SPEED SHOULD BE LESS. A COMPLEX LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SHOULD BRING ABOUT A GRADUAL INCREASE IN MOISTURE STARTING FRIDAY NIGHT WITH POTENTIAL FOR MORE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION OVER THE WEEKEND. .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY (70-80 PERCENT)...THEN BECOMING MOSTLY SUNNY (40-50 PERCENT). ISOLATED FLURRIES THIS MORNING. MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 40. MIN HUMIDITY........21 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 6 MPH THIS MORNING... BECOMING NORTHWEST 8 TO 13 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. CWR (0.01 IN).......20 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......4500 FT AGL...INCREASING TO 8400 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....NORTHWEST 14 TO 21 MPH. TIME (EDT) 11 AM 1 PM 3 PM 5 PM SKY (%).............66 44 47 52 WEATHER COV......... WEATHER TYPE........NONE NONE NONE NONE TSTM COV............ TEMP................37 40 40 39 RH..................32 25 21 21 20 FT WIND..........NW 6 NW 8 NW 12 NW 8 20 FT WIND GUST.....15 20 22 20 CWR.................0 0 0 0 .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLEAR (15-25 PERCENT). MIN TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 24. MAX HUMIDITY........57 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........WEST WINDS 6 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE. CWR (0.01 IN).......0 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......6500 FT AGL...DECREASING TO 300 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....NORTHWEST 16 TO 23 MPH...BECOMING WEST 7 TO 13 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT. TIME (EDT) 6 PM 8 PM 10 PM MIDNGT 2 AM 4 AM SKY (%).............41 9 8 7 4 2 WEATHER COV......... WEATHER TYPE........NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE TSTM COV............ TEMP................38 34 28 25 24 24 RH..................22 25 35 43 50 53 20 FT WIND..........NW 8 W 6 W 5 W 5 W 3 W 2 20 FT WIND GUST.....20 15 10 15 5 CWR.................0 0 0 0 0 0 .FRIDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY (5-15 PERCENT). MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 53. MIN HUMIDITY........18 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS...BECOMING WEST 5 TO 8 MPH IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. CWR (0.01 IN).......10 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......2600 FT AGL...INCREASING TO 5700 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST 12 TO 17 MPH. TIME (EDT) 6 AM 8 AM 10 AM NOON 2 PM 4 PM SKY (%).............1 2 4 6 9 14 WEATHER COV......... WEATHER TYPE........NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE TSTM COV............ TEMP................24 25 34 41 46 50 RH..................55 57 37 28 22 19 20 FT WIND..........W 2 W 2 W 5 W 6 W 6 W 6 20 FT WIND GUST..... 5 10 15 15 15 CWR.................0 0 0 10 10 10 $$ FORECASTER...HUDGINS REQUESTED BY...AL CIRE TYPE OF REQUEST...PRESCRIBED .TAG 20130321.JAMES.01/RNK