FNUS71 KRNK 191017 FWSRNK SPOT FORECAST FOR ELEPHANT FIRE...USFS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 617 AM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 FORECAST IS BASED ON AN ISSUANCE TIME OF 0615 EDT ON APRIL 19. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DISCUSSION... A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO THE GULF COAST THIS MORNING. THIS FRONT WILL CROSS THE APPALACHIANS THIS AFTERNOON...THEN MOVE OFF THE EAST COAST TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA THIS WEEKEND. WIDESPREAD WETTING RAINFALL IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON... RANGING FROM A HALF INCH /0.50/ TO AN INCH /1.00/. GOOD DRYING CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED SATURDAY...HIGH PRESSURE RESULTING IN THE RETURN OF SUNNY SKIES. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO RETURN CLOSER TO NORMAL...TRENDING 10 TO 15 DEGREES COOLER. .YESTERDAYS (APRIL 18TH) OBSERVED WEATHER FROM THE GLENPED RAWS AT NATURAL BRIDGE...HIGH 78...LOW 64... RAIN 0...RH MAX 89%...RH MIN 45%. .THIS MORNINGS CONDITIONS FROM THE GLENPED RAWS AT 0542 AM... TEMP 67...RH 72%...OVERCAST...WIND FROM SOUTH 2-5MPH GUST 11 MPH. FORECAST FOR... .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (95-100 PERCENT CLOUD COVER). INTERMITTENT LIGHT SHOWERS THIS MORNING...WIDESPREAD HEAVY SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. A THUNDERSTORM ALSO POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 73. MIN HUMIDITY........55 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH THIS MORNING. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. STRONGER GUSTS MAY OCCUR WITH ANY STORMS THAT OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS SHIFTING TO THE WEST AFTER 1600. CWR (0.01 IN).......100 PERCENT. MIXING HEIGHT.......500 FEET THIS MORNING...INCREASING TO 2500 FT AGL IN THE AFTERNOON. TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTHWEST 30 TO 35 MPH. TIME (EDT) 6 AM 8 AM 10 AM NOON 2 PM 4 PM SKY (%).............98 100 100 100 100 100 WEATHER COV.........SCTTRD SCTTRD SCTTRD SCTTRD LIKELY DEFNTE WEATHER TYPE........RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR TSTM COV............ LIKELY DEFNTE TEMP................66 66 68 70 71 71 RH..................75 79 71 66 61 58 20 FT WIND..........S 6 S 9 S 10 S 12 S 12 SW 10 20 FT WIND GUST.....20 20 25 30 30 30 CWR.................30 30 40 50 70 100 .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........SHOWERS ENDING DURING THE EVENING FOLLOWED BY CLEARING. MIN TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 45. MAX HUMIDITY........70 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........WEST WINDS 9 TO 14 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. CWR (0.01 IN).......100 PERCENT BEFORE 8PM...THEN DECREASING TO 0 PERCENT AFTER MIDNIGHT. MIXING HEIGHT.......LOWERING TO 800 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....NORTHWEST 33 TO 35 MPH. TIME (EDT) 6 PM 8 PM 10 PM MIDNGT 2 AM 4 AM SKY (%).............100 100 86 66 43 35 WEATHER COV.........DEFNTE DEFNTE LIKELY CHANCE WEATHER TYPE........RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR RNSHWR NONE NONE TSTM COV............DEFNTE TEMP................67 61 56 53 50 47 RH..................55 55 59 64 70 70 20 FT WIND..........W 10 W 11 W 10 W 8 W 8 W 7 20 FT WIND GUST.....30 30 25 20 20 20 CWR.................100 90 70 30 0 0 .OUTLOOK FOR THE WEEKEND... MOSTLY SUNNY AND COOLER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. HIGHS 55 TO 60. LOWS 35 TO 40. MINIMUM HUMIDITY 28-33 PERCENT. RECOVERY AT NIGHT TO NEAR 70 PERCENT. WINDS SATURDAY NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH. WINDS SUNDAY NORTHEAST 4 TO 8 MPH. $$ FORECASTER...MANUEL REQUESTED BY...JAY COLLETT TYPE OF REQUEST...WILDFIRE .TAG 20130419.ELEPH.01/RNK