National Situation Update: Friday, January 27, 2006
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
National Weather
Northeast: The core of the high-pressure area will pass by well to the south while one storm continues to exit today and a new cold front approaches from out of Quebec and Ontario tomorrow, winds will remain gusty over New England into the weekend. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will be rain and snow free to end the workweek and begin the weekend. On Sunday, a storm developing in the Midwest will sweep eastward with showery rains. Any snow will be confined to areas toward the Canadian border.
South: As happened yesterday, a few showers could dot the southern Plains. Temperatures will begin a slight rebound in the Southeast with the moderating trend in full force on tomorrow. Tonight and tomorrow, a more vigorous upper-level disturbance will make its presence known over the Plains. Rain will increase over the central and eastern portions of Oklahoma and Texas tonight bringing more much needed rain to the drought region. Rainfall will range from a few tenths to near one inch. The rain will gradually expand and then shift into Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, western Alabama and western Tennessee tomorrow where a few areas could pick up between 1 and 2 inches. A few strong thunderstorms could accompany the rain from eastern Texas into the lower Mississippi Valley. The rain will spread into the Southeast Sunday, but a developing low pressure area and cold front in the southern Plains could initiate a thunderstorm squall line in the Ark-La-Tex region by evening. The cold front and squall line could sweep eastward into the Southeast Monday.
Midwest: Around the back side of the high pressure area, south to southwest winds will be gusty at times from Kansas to Michigan. Tonight, rain will develop from Iowa to eastern Kansas and spread eastward as far as Lower Michigan, Indiana and western Kentucky by late tomorrow. A little wet snow could fringe the northern edge of the precipitation over central Wisconsin and northern Lower Michigan. The rain will shift east through the remainder of the Ohio Valley tomorrow night. A new windy storm from out of the south-central states will target the Ohio Valley Monday with snow from the mid-Mississippi Valley to Lower Michigan, rain changing to snow in Indiana and rain for Ohio and Kentucky.
West: The storm express is re-establishing itself over the Northwest. One storm will be inland with showery rains from the Olympic Peninsula to San Francisco and snow above 2000 to 2500 feet in the Olympics, Cascades, Siskiyou and Coastal Range. Late tonight and tomorrow, a much wetter and windier storm will take aim on the same region. The Oregon coast, Oregon Cascades and the northern Sierra could experience wind gusts over 65 mph. Heavy rain to over 4 inches will renew flooding especially over western Oregon and northwest California. As feet of snow fall in the Cascades and northern Sierra, snow levels will range from 2000 feet in Washington to 5000 feet in the central Sierra. Both storms will spread some snow across the Great Basin and into the northern and central Rockies. (NWS, Media Sources)
Cindy Upgraded to Hurricane - Seasonal Total Increased to 15
In the recently released report on Tropical Storm Cindy, a post-storm reanalysis indicates Cindy was a category 1 hurricane just offshore and while making landfall along the southeastern coast of Louisiana. The hurricane produced heavy rainfall across coastal areas of southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and caused minor wind damage in the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Cindy was also the first of five named tropical cyclones that developed during an unusually active month of July. The post-storm reanalysis upgrade of Cindy to hurricane status means 15 Atlantic basin hurricanes occurred in 2005, a new record for a year. (NOAA National Hurricane Center)
Tropical Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity
A micro earthquake occurred at 12:59 am EST, January 26, 2006. The magnitude 2.8 event has been located within a mile of Mount St. Helens, Washington. There were no injuries or damage reported. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program)
Preliminary Damage Assessments
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update
National Preparedness Level - II
Current situation: Fire activity remained light throughout the states with 13 new fires reported. No new large fires were reported or contained. Very high to extreme fire danger was reported in Kansas, Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
The central and southern Plains will experience windy conditions today. Florida and other southeastern states will continue to have dry weather.
The majority of the firefighting activity is on State and private land. Federal agencies are supporting the States by filling orders for requested resources.
California: Plunge (San Bernardino National Forest): 485 acres at 75 percent contained. The fire is burning eight miles northeast of San Bernardino. Minimal fire activity was observed.
Oklahoma: Eastern Oklahoma IA (Oklahoma State): 123,331 acres at an unknown percent contained. An Oklahoma State Type 2 Incident Management Team (Smith) is assisting local, federal, and state jurisdictions in managing fires and initial attack in Oklahoma. Six new large fires burned 33 acres yesterday.
BOLEY (Okmulgee Field Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs): 110 acres at 80 percent contained. The fire is burning two miles southwest of Boley City. No new information was reported.
Texas: North Central Texas (Texas Forest Service): 23,431 acres at an unknown percent contained. A Unified Command between a Florida State Type 2 Team and a Texas State Type 2 Incident Commander is in Granbury, Texas. The Unified Command is assisting local jurisdictions in managing existing fires and initial attack within the 220,000 square mile West Zone fire management response area. One new fire was contained at 40 acres. (NIFC, NICC)
Disaster Declaration Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Wednesday, 29-Mar-2006 14:57:17 EST