River Flood Warning 4, NWS Missoula, MT

000 
WGUS85 KMSO 270035
FLSMSO
FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
635 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 2009

...THE FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN 
MONTANA...
 
  BITTERROOT RIVER NEAR MISSOULA AFFECTING MISSOULA COUNTY  

MTC063-270105-
/O.CAN.KMSO.FL.W.0004.000000T0000Z-090602T0705Z/
/BITM8.1.SM.090529T0900Z.090531T0600Z.090601T0705Z.NO/
635 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 2009

THE FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR
  THE BITTERROOT RIVER NEAR MISSOULA.
* AT  5:45 PM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 10.8 FEET. 
* FLOOD STAGE IS 11.0 FEET. 
* FORECAST...THE RIVER CRESTED AT 10.8 FEET EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. CURRENT TRENDS SHOW THE RIVER STAYING BELOW FLOOD STAGE THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY.

$$

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

STAY TUNED TO DEVELOPMENTS BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR
LOCAL TV OR RADIO STATIONS. INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE OBTAINED FROM OUR
HOMEPAGE AT WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/MISSOULA. 

&&

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
330 AM MDT TUE MAY 26 2009

.DISCUSSION...A BROAD RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE THE DOMINATE
FEATURE OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
THIS RIDGE WILL BRING A WARMING AND DRYING TREND. THIS AFTERNOON
THE ATMOSPHERE APPEARS TO BECOME UNSTABLE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY ACROSS
LEMHI COUNTY INTO SOUTHWEST MONTANA. THE CONVECTION SHOULD
DISSIPATE SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET. A WEAK DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO
SKIRT ACROSS NORTHWEST MONTANA ON WEDNESDAY. THIS FEATURE APPEARS
TO ONLY BRING AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER. TEMPERATURES FOR THE
NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS SHOULD BE WELL ABOVE SEASON NORMALS.

THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...CURRENT MODEL AGREEMENT IS HIGH FOR THE
EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE
STRENGTHENING THROUGH FRIDAY. SUB-TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL SLOWLY
PROPAGATE NORTHWARD AND INTO THE AREA BRINGING INCREASING SHOWER
AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES EACH DAY. SOUTHWEST MONTANA AND EAST
CENTRAL IDAHO WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT. A LOW PRESSURE THROUGH PASSING TO THE NORTH THROUGH
CANADA WILL FLATTEN THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE THROUGH THIS
WEEKEND....AND COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A COOLER AND MORE ACTIVE
WEATHER PATTERN.

&&

.AVIATION...A BROAD RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE THE DOMINATE
FEATURE OVER THE REGION FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS AFTERNOON THE
ATMOSPHERE APPEARS TO DESTABILIZE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AROUND KSMN AND
KBTM TERMINALS. THE CONVECTION SHOULD DIMINISH SHORTLY AFTER
SUNSET. SOME WESTERLY WIND IS EXPECTED TO MIX TO THE SURFACE THIS
AFTERNOON.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...RIVER AND SMALL STREAMS ACROSS WESTERN MONTANA CONTINUE
TO BE A PRIMARY CONCERN AS WARM TEMPERATURES MELT EXISTING SNOW
PACK. MANY MAIN STEM RIVERS ARE EXPECTED TO SEE CONTINUED SLOW
RISES DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THE BITTERROOT RIVER NEAR
DARBY COULD REACH FLOOD STAGE BY LATER TODAY...AND
DOWNSTREAM LOCATIONS POSSIBLY BY WEDNESDAY. THE CLARK FORK NEAR
MISSOULA COULD SEE FLOOD STAGE BY MID-WEEK. ROCK CREEK NEAR
CLINTON IS A LOCATION THAT MAY SEE AT LEAST BANK FULL LEVELS.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...NONE.
ID...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...SMITH
LONG TERM....KITSMILLER
AVIATION...SMITH