857  
FNUS71 KLWX 271515  
FWSLWX  
 
SPOT FORECAST FOR HORSEHEAD ROAD FIRE...SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
1115 AM EDT THU AUG 27 2026  
 
FORECAST IS BASED ON FORECAST START TIME OF 1100 EDT ON AUGUST 27.  
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER  
SERVICE.  
 
PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS  
OR CONCERNS WITH THIS FORECAST.  
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
DRY CONDITIONS LOOK TO CONTINUE OVER THE FIRE LOCATION THIS MORNING WITH  
MOSTLY SUNNY TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES EXPECTED. THE RISK FOR SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS WILL SLOWLY INCREASE LATER THIS AFTERNOON BETWEEN 2 TO 5PM  
AS A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE REGION. OVERALL LOOKING AT A 30  
TO 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE FIRE LOCATION THIS AFTERNOON  
WITH COVERAGE REMAINING SCATTERED. THE RISK FOR A THUNDERSTORM REMAINS BETWEEN  
50 TO 60 PERCENT THIS EVENING BEFORE DECREASING OVERNIGHT. IF STORMS DUE DEVELOP  
EXPECT GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING, LARGE  
HAIL, AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.  
 
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MAY LINGER THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE  
NIGHT, BUT THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL DIMINISH. THE COLD FRONT ITSELF WILL  
BE SLOW TO MOVE SOUTH FRIDAY LEADING TO ADDITIONAL SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES  
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. ONCE AGAIN, COVERAGE WILL BE SCATTERED  
IN AND AROUND THE FIRE LOCATION WITH NOT EVERYONE SEEING RAIN. DAMAGING WINDS,  
HEAVY RAINFALL, AND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH STORMS. HIGH PRESSURE  
WILL BUILD FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST THIS WEEKEND.  
 
HIGHS TODAY WILL PUSH UP TOWARD 90 DEGREES WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS HOVERING BETWEEN  
5 TO 10 MPH GUSTING UP TO 20 MPH ALONG THE EXPOSED RIDGES AT TIMES. WINDS WILL  
REMAIN OUT OF THE SOUTH AT 5 TO 10 MPH OVERNIGHT BEFORE SWITCHING TO THE WEST  
NORTHWEST FRIDAY MORNING AND NORTHEAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
RHS EACH DAY REMAIN IN THE UPPER 40S TO LOW 50S AT THE LOWEST,  
WITH EXCELLENT OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES EXPECTED EACH DAY.  
 
FOR THE AREAS THAT DO MANAGE TO GET THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH FRIDAY,  
THEY COULD PICK UP AN A HALF AN INCH OR SO OF RAINFALL, BUT DOUBT WE SEE  
THAT OVER ANY WIDESPREAD AREA.  
   
REST OF TODAY
 
 
SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY (45-55 PERCENT SHADING). SLIGHT CHANCE OF  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE  
AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING THIS EVENING.  
CWR.................10 PERCENT INCREASING TO 40 PERCENT.  
CHANCE OF THUNDER...35 PERCENT.  
MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 89.  
MIN HUMIDITY........50 PERCENT.  
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH WINDS 6 TO 8 MPH. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS  
EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  
MIXING HEIGHT.......5200 FT AGL.  
TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTHWEST 8 TO 12 MPH.  
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....FAIR (21600 KNOT-FT) EARLY IN THE MORNING  
INCREASING TO GOOD (46700 KNOT-FT) IN THE  
AFTERNOON.  
EYE LEVEL WINDS.....SOUTH WINDS UP TO 5 MPH.  
 
TIME (EDT) 11A 12P 1PM 2PM 3PM 4PM 5PM  
SKY (%).........35 43 55 55 61 60 65  
WEATHER COV..... SCH CHC CHC CHC  
WEATHER TYPE.... RW RW RW RW  
TSTM COV........ SCH CHC CHC CHC  
CWR.............10 10 10 20 30 30 40  
CHC OF THDR (%).10 10 10 20 30 30 30  
TEMP............81 85 85 86 87 85 83  
RH..............67 57 55 54 50 58 63  
20 FT WIND DIR..SW S S S S S S  
20 FT WIND SPD..6 6 7 7 8 7 7  
20 FT WIND GUST.10 12 12 13 13 13 13  
EYE LVL WND DIR.SW S S S S S S  
EYE LVL WND SPD.4 4 4 4 5 4 4  
EYE LVL WND GST.6 7 7 8 8 8 8  
MIX HGT (KFT)...3.1 4.6 5.2 5.2 4.9 4.5 3.5  
TRANSP WIND DIR.SW SW SW SW S S S  
TRANSP WIND SPD.8 9 9 10 10 12 9  
VRATE KT-FT/1K..22 37 42 47 44 45 28  
VENTRATE CAT....PR PR FR FR FR FR PR  
   
TONIGHT
 
 
SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY (60-70 PERCENT SHADING). CHANCE OF  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE EVENING,  
GRAUDALLY DECREASING OVERNIGHT.  
CWR.................50 PERCENT DECREASING TO 10 PERCENT.  
CHANCE OF THUNDER...41 PERCENT.  
MIN TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 65.  
MAX HUMIDITY........98 PERCENT.  
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 7 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING  
BECOMING LIGHT. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS  
EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING.  
MIXING HEIGHT.......400 FT AGL.  
TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTH 5 TO 9 MPH SHIFTING TO THE WEST AROUND 3  
MPH LATE IN THE EVENING, THEN SHIFTING TO THE  
NORTH 3 TO 5 MPH AFTER 3 AM.  
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....FAIR (18500 KNOT-FT) EARLY IN THE EVENING  
DECREASING TO POOR (1200 KNOT-FT) LATE IN THE  
NIGHT.  
EYE LEVEL WINDS.....SOUTH WINDS UP TO 4 MPH EARLY IN THE EVENING  
BECOMING LIGHT.  
 
TIME (EDT) 6PM 7PM 8PM 9PM 10P 11P MID 1AM 2AM 3AM 4AM 5AM  
SKY (%).........68 65 73 67 58 63 71 63 55 59 67 65  
WEATHER COV.....CHC CHC CHC CHC SCH  
WEATHER TYPE....RW RW RW RW RW  
TSTM COV........CHC CHC CHC CHC SCH  
CWR.............50 40 30 30 20 10 10 10 10 0 0 0  
CHC OF THDR (%).40 40 30 30 20 10 10 10 10 0 0 0  
TEMP............81 77 74 72 71 69 69 68 67 67 67 66  
RH..............65 74 79 81 84 90 87 90 93 90 90 93  
20 FT WIND DIR..S S S S S SW SW SW W W W W  
20 FT WIND SPD..7 6 5 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1  
20 FT WIND GUST.12 9 8 7 7 6 5 5 5 5 5 5  
EYE LVL WND DIR.S S S S S SW SW SW W W W W  
EYE LVL WND SPD.4 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1  
EYE LVL WND GST.7 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3  
MIX HGT (KFT)...2.3 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5  
TRANSP WIND DIR.S S S SE S W SW W W W N N  
TRANSP WIND SPD.9 6 5 5 5 3 3 3 3 3 3 5  
VRATE KT-FT/1K..19 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2  
VENTRATE CAT....PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR  
   
FRIDAY
 
 
SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY SUNNY (55-65 PERCENT SHADING). PATCHY FOG EARLY  
IN THE MORNING. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE  
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.  
CWR.................10 PERCENT INCREASING TO 40 PERCENT.  
CHANCE OF THUNDER...36 PERCENT.  
MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 86.  
MIN HUMIDITY........59 PERCENT.  
WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT WINDS BECOMING EAST AROUND 5 MPH LATE IN  
THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED  
NEAR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON.  
MIXING HEIGHT.......4200 FT AGL.  
TRANSPORT WINDS.....NORTH 3 TO 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE EAST AROUND 6  
MPH LATE IN THE AFTERNOON.  
SMOKE DISPERSAL.....POOR (1300 KNOT-FT) EARLY IN THE MORNING  
INCREASING TO FAIR (16800 KNOT-FT) IN THE  
AFTERNOON.  
EYE LEVEL WINDS.....LIGHT WINDS BECOMING EAST AROUND 3 MPH LATE IN  
THE AFTERNOON.  
 
TIME (EDT) 6AM 7AM 8AM 9AM 10A 11A 12P 1PM 2PM 3PM 4PM 5PM  
SKY (%).........66 70 54 55 55 53 51 65 68 63 61 61  
WEATHER COV..... PTY PTY SCH CHC CHC CHC CHC  
WEATHER TYPE.... FOG FOG RW RW RW RW RW  
TSTM COV........ SCH CHC CHC CHC CHC  
CWR.............0 0 0 0 0 10 10 20 40 40 40 40  
CHC OF THDR (%).0 0 0 0 0 10 10 20 30 30 30 40  
TEMP............66 65 66 68 73 77 81 82 84 85 83 82  
RH..............93 97 97 100 87 76 67 65 61 59 61 63  
20 FT WIND DIR..W W NW NW N N N N NE NE E E  
20 FT WIND SPD..1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 5 5  
20 FT WIND GUST.5 3 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7  
EYE LVL WND DIR.W W NW NW N N N N NE NE E E  
EYE LVL WND SPD.1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3  
EYE LVL WND GST.3 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4  
MIX HGT (KFT)...0.4 0.4 0.4 0.9 1.4 2.6 3.7 4.0 4.2 3.2 2.9 2.3  
TRANSP WIND DIR.N N N N N N N N NE E SE E  
TRANSP WIND SPD.3 3 5 5 5 5 3 5 5 5 6 6  
VRATE KT-FT/1K..1 1 2 3 6 10 11 16 17 13 15 11  
VENTRATE CAT....PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR PR  
 

 
FORECASTER...TAYLOR  
REQUESTED BY...IC ROBINSON  
TYPE OF REQUEST...WILDFIRE  
.TAG 2620702.0/LWX  
.DELDT 08/27/26  
.FORMATTERVERSION 2.0.0  
.EMAIL SHEN_COMMUNICATION@NPS.GOV  
 
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