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National Situation Update: Sunday, January 20, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:  The northwest will have one-foot-plus-snows in the Rockies on Sunday, January 20, 2008, from a storm dropping southward into Washington and Oregon, and accompanied by a cold, high-pressure system.

The Pacific Northwest will experience coastal rain and snow in the Cascades on Sunday, January 20, 2008.

Northeast:  Colder air and gusty winds will move into the region for Sunday, January 20, 2008.  Temperatures on Sunday will be about 10-to-20-degrees below average.

Wind Chill Advisories are in effect for parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.

Lake-effect snows will cause one-foot-plus accumulations along the western border of New York and Pennsylvania.  (NWS, Media Sources)

Upper Midwest Locked In Deep Freeze

Bitter, dangerous cold has settled across the Chicago, Illinois area and its neighbors in the Upper Midwest, making just walking a block a miserable experience.

Wind Chill Advisories are in effect for Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan.

Thus far this January, people across the Chicago area have been treated to a warm spell, with one day reaching 65 degrees.  With the temperatures plummeting, though, Chicagoans have been preparing for cold weather.

The fact that the cold will only last a couple of days does not diminish its danger.

When air temperatures drop below zero, hospital rooms expect to be busy with cases of frostbite.

It's projected to be a negative 15 degree windchill; a negative 15 degree wind chill you can cause frostbite in 20 minutes.

In Wisconsin, the forecast high is five-below-zero in some areas for Sunday, January 20, 2008.

Minnesota has it equally hard.  The forecast high for Minneapolis on Sunday, January 20, 2008, is zero degrees, local news sources reported.

In Detroit, Michigan, the temperatures are well below normal, but relatively warmer when compared to the rest of the Upper Midwest.  Highs there on Sunday, January 20, 2008, are expected to top out at 16 degrees with scattered snow showers, local news sources reported.

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

On Saturday, January 19, 2008, at 6:13 p.m. EST, a 4.7 earthquake struck about 28 miles west of Red Bluff, California (about 128 miles north-northwest of Sacramento, California), at a depth of 6.5 miles.  There have been several other smaller earthquakes in the same area throughout the day today (4.4 magnitude at 12:15 p.m. EST, 3.4 at 1:14 p.m. EST and 3.3 at 6:10 p.m. EST).  No reports of damage or injuries, and no tsunami was generated. (USGS/NEIC, West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)