Alert archive / Idaho / Special Weather Statements in 2017

Special Weather Statement, NWS Missoula, MT

August 29, 2017Lewis County, Idaho

NWS Missoula, MT issued this special weather statement at Aug 29, 2017, 4:39 PM PDT for Lewis County, Idaho. It was in force for 36 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 29, 2017, 4:39 PM PDT (23:39 UTC)
Expired
Aug 29, 2017, 5:15 PM PDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Missoula, MT

County Lewis County, ID

The radar

The Pendleton radar (KPDT), 180 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:42 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 484 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2017-08-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2017-08-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -4 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3564 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
15 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at Aug 29, 1:30 PM PDT, 3 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 29, 1:30 PM PDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
230 PM MDT Tue Aug 29 2017

.DISCUSSION...Stable conditions across the region have allowed
thick wildfire smoke to settle into the valleys of north central
Idaho and western Montana. Low visibility and poor air quality
will continue for the rest of the day and into the overnight
hours. Isolated thundershowers are also starting to develop across
the Idaho Panhandle and could shift eastward into Clearwater and
Idaho counties, as well as the Idaho/Montana border as far north
as Noxon and Libby. Breezy winds and maybe a sprinkle of rain
should be expected, as well a lightning strike or two as well.

A passing shortwave trough and associated cold front will occur
Wednesday through Thursday, bringing a mixed bag of weather
impacts to the Northern Rockies. For Wednesday, central Idaho and
west central Montana will see an increasing potential for
scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening
time frame. The main concerns we have with storms that develop
will be gusty outflow winds and cloud to ground lightning, which
does not bode well for ongoing wildfires. Given the thunderstorm
potential, as well as the low humidity and increasing winds, Red
Flag Warnings have been issued across central Idaho and western
Montana.

Lingering storms and gusty winds will linger overnight Wednesday
into Thursday as the cold front approaches from the west. Once
the front passes on Thursday, winds will remain elevated and keep
critical fire weather conditions going through the day. In fact,
winds may continue to be blustery during the day Friday as well.

The one good aspect to all of this will be a temporary relief
from smoke, thanks to the winds helping to drive it out of valleys
during this time period. Unfortunately, this relief will not
last. High pressure, dry conditions, and light winds will return
by Saturday, with the expectation of staying through early next
week.

We are keeping an eye on a potential system next week that could
bring a shift to easterly winds and cooling temps to the region,
and may also help to erode pesky smoke from valleys for a time.
More details will become available as this time period nears.

&&

.AVIATION...Isolated thunderstorms are developing in Idaho this
afternoon and simulated radar loops have a variety of solutions
for the progression of these storms during this afternoon. One
model does show the storms currently in northern Idaho to become
organized once the reach northwest Montana this afternoon, but
confidence is not very high for the amount of organization shown,
so there most likely will be scattered thunderstorms throughout
north-central Idaho and western Montana this afternoon and
evening. Any storm that may develop will contain gusty outflow
winds of 20-40 mph which will increase visibilities. A few storms
will linger through the overnight. Higher chances for
thunderstorms arrive on Wednesday as monsoon moisture arrives
ahead of cold front. Wildfire smoke remains a widespread impact
to the region and there will be little change until Thursday.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Red Flag Warning from 1 PM Wednesday to 9 PM MDT Thursday
     Deerlodge/West Beaverhead...East Beaverhead.

     Red Flag Warning from 1 PM Wednesday to 9 PM MDT Thursday
     Bitterroot...East Lolo...Flathead/Glacier Park...Salish and
     Kootenai Reservation...West Lolo.

     Red Flag Warning from midnight Wednesday night to 9 PM MDT
     Thursday Kootenai.

ID...     Red Flag Warning from noon to 8 PM PDT Wednesday Clearwater/Nez
     Perce...Palouse/Hells Canyon.

&&

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 29, 4:39 PM PDT, 0 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Missoula MT
439 PM PDT TUE AUG 29 2017

IDZ006>008-300015-
Southern Clearwater Mountains ID-
Lower Hells Canyon/Salmon River Region ID-
Orofino/Grangeville Region ID-
439 PM PDT TUE AUG 29 2017

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL IDAHO COUNTY UNTIL
515 PM PDT...

At 438 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 18
miles northwest of White Bird, or 22 miles west of Grangeville,
moving northeast at 15 mph.

Strong outflow winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with this
storm.

Locations impacted include...
Grangeville, Cottonwood, Ferdinand, Keuterville, Canfield and Fenn.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

&&

LAT...LON 4589 11673 4596 11675 4600 11670 4599 11665
      4603 11664 4603 11658 4600 11654 4601 11652
      4613 11652 4612 11648 4619 11646 4620 11643
      4615 11617 4587 11603 4578 11642 4578 11666
      4583 11671 4582 11677 4585 11679
TIME...MOT...LOC 2338Z 239DEG 13KT 4595 11659

The office that day

Everything else NWS Missoula, MT issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 29, 11:49 AM PDTRed Flag WarningMSOBeaverhead, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Glacier, Granite, Jefferson and 9 more56 hr
Aug 29, 11:49 AM PDTRed Flag WarningMSOFlathead, Lincoln, Sanders56 hr

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Idaho, 2017Every special weather statement in 2017

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.