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National Situation Update: Thursday, January 8, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
River flooding continues in western Washington and showers will continue west of the Cascades.
A cold front will move gradually inland today giving coastal areas a break in precipitation tonight. Heavy snow will fall in the Cascades with snow levels dropping to around 1500 feet by afternoon. Heavy snow is also forecast for the mountains of Idaho and western Montana.

Midwest:
Under a ridge of high pressure the region will see little significant weather. Later in the day the system moving out of the northern Rockies will bring rain, snow and freezing rain from Montana to the Dakotas. A scattering of light snow showers and flurries will reach from Michigan southward through northern Indiana and Ohio.

South:
A trough of low pressure extending from the mid-Atlantic down the Appalachians will produce snow showers or flurries in eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia and the southern Appalachians. Snow accumulations may approach five inches in the higher elevations of Tennessee and North Carolina.

Northeast:
A large low pressure system centered over the Canadian Maritimes will produce gusty northwesterly winds and snow showers in New England. Further south, snow showers are expected in New York State, western Pennsylvania and southward along the Appalachians. Significant snow accumulations should be confined to areas immediately downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario. (NOAA, NWS, Various Media Sources)

Pacific Northwest Flooding:

The Region X RRCC is activated at Level II due to widespread flooding as a result of excessive runoff from heavy rainfall and melting snow in the State of Washington. The ESF's currently activated within the RRCC are 1,2,3,6,7,9,10,11,15,DCO/DCE, US Coast Guard and US Geological Survey team. The Washington State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is at Full Activation with 24 hour operations and five local shelters available to citizens within the affected area. The Washington Department of Transportation has closed portions of  Interstate 90 and 3 major East-West mountain pass highways through the Cascade Mountains.

The National Weather Service has forecast major flooding for 20 rivers in western Washington. There are numerous towns under voluntary flood evacuation. The National Weather Service expects another 4 to 8 inches of rainfall in the coastal areas and Cascade Mountains through early Thursday morning. (Region X)

Colorado "Old Stage" Wildfires - Boulder County:

As of 3:00 a.m. MST, on January 8, 2009, the Boulder County fire department is combating a wind driven grasslands fire. The fire has burned more than 1,000 acres and is currently zero percent contained.  There have been three homes and one outbuilding destroyed, while approximately 11,000 structures are still threatened. There has been no report of deaths or injuries.  The local authorities have requested State and Federal fire fighting support. The Region VIII RRCC is monitoring the situation with the Colorado Division of State Forestry. (Region VIII)

Fire Management Assistance Grant

FMAG-2793-CO was issued January 7, 2009 for the Old Stage Fire near Boulder, Boulder County, CO.(FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Western Pacific:
There are no current tropical cyclone warnings. (NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity