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National Situation Update: Sunday, December 25, 2005

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Summary

West: In general the temperatures across the West will run 10 to 30 degrees above average on Sunday and into next week. Vigorous Pacific storm systems bring rain and snow into Central California, the Great Basin, and the Pacific Northwest starting on Sunday and on Monday spreading rain into Southern California and the Desert Southwest.

Midwest: A rain/snow mixture is in the forecast from Detroit to the Missouri boot heel with only minor accumulations expected. Otherwise Christmas is forecast to be rainy and raw across the Ohio Valley. The Great Plains on Sunday will enjoy temperatures between 15 to 30 degrees above average; this warm trend is forecast to continue into the middle of next week.

Northeast: Christmas Day is forecast to be cloudy and rainy for much of the Eastern Seaboard from Boston to Washington, D.C. as a storm system approaches from the Midwest. Rain will move across the Appalachians into Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia by midday, moving into Boston and southern Maine by evening. Locally heavy rain can be expected at times. Inland areas of the Northeast and New England will most likely see a mixture of rain and snow. By Christmas Night, showers will turn into a rain/snow mix from Upstate New York to central New England.

South: There will be passing rain and thunderstorms into the Southeast and Florida moving offshore by Sunday afternoon. By Christmas Night light rain is forecast to change over to light snow around Ashville, N.C. Unlike last Christmas, the Gulf Coast from Brownsville, Texas to Pensacola, Fla. will not see any snow or sleet.  (Source: NOAA/NWS and various media outlets)

Tropical Activity

There is no tropical activity in the Atlantic, Caribbean, or Gulf of Mexico.

There is no tropical activity in the Eastern, Western or Central Pacific Ocean. (Source: USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurred on Saturday, December 24, 2005 at 1224 EST near the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands, AK (1350 miles west-southwest of Anchorage).  There are no reports of injuries, or damage.  (Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)