National Situation Update: Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
The Pacific Northwest will be affected by a series of low pressure systems, westerly flow and warm moist air over the next couple of days.  A cold front will move into the Pacific Northwest this afternoon followed by a warm front tonight.  This situation will produce widespread river flooding, local and urban flooding, plus a high landslide and avalanche threat. Across western Washington and northwestern Oregon, total rainfall with this weather system is forecast to range from 1 to 3 inches in valley locations, 3 to 6 inches along the coast, and 5 to 10 inches in the Cascades.  Totals of 15 to 20 inches are possible along the west facing slopes of the Olympics.  Further east, eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and northern Idaho could receive from 1 to 5 inches of precipitation. Heavy snow is forecast for the mountains of central Idaho, western Montana, south-central Wyoming and north-central Colorado.

Midwest:
A fast moving low pressure system (Alberta Clipper) will bring another shot of cold air and scattered snow showers across the northern and central Plains. The system is expected to deepen over the eastern Great Lakes tonight producing lake effect snows into Thursday morning.  As the storm system moves east, colder temperatures will prevail across the upper Midwest and western Great Lakes with lows near or below zero.  The Pacific system will bring light snow or mixed rain and snow to the western Dakotas and northwest Nebraska late in the day.

South:
A cold front extending southward along the coast from a low in the Mid-Atlantic will produce rain and possibly severe thunderstorms from Virginia to Florida. Conditions will improve tonight as the front moves off the coast.

Northeast:
The Mid-Atlantic low will move northeastward producing winter weather from central Appalachia to the Mid-Atlantic today and across New York state and New England tonight through Thursday.  This system will produce heavy rainfall across southern Appalachia, the coastal plains of Virginia, the Carolinas and much of the southeast. Areas from coastal New England to the Mid-Atlantic coast will see mostly rain. A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain will extend from central and southeast New York to parts of central and southern New England.  Storm totals may be in the 6 to 10 inch range. (NOAA, NWS, Various Media Sources)

Tennessee Flooding along Emory River (Tennessee Valley Authority Ash Dump Site)

Widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches (with estimates of 5 or more inches in localized areas) from Monday, January 5 through Tuesday, January 6 is expected to create a significant rise on the Emory River in eastern Tennessee through Thursday.  This rise will occur a few miles upriver from the location of a major coal ash spill that occurred near the TVA's Kingston steam power plant (near Harriman, Tennessee) in late December.  This event, involving an estimated 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash, initially garnered widespread media coverage as it flooded several homes in the area.  TVA officials believe there is a potential that the elevated flow on the Emory River could inundate some for the coal ash holding areas during the next few days, depositing additional coal ash (and associated pollutants) into the river and carrying it downstream. (NOAA)

Fire Management Assistance Grant

No activity to report. (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

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Wednesday, 07-Jan-2009 08:22:18 EST