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National Situation Update: Thursday, December 21, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Blizzard Warnings In The West and Midwest

Midwest
Blizzard warnings have been issued for Western Kansas and Nebraska. The windy snowfall will focus mainly on Kansas, Nebraska and southeast South Dakota. Locations in northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota could receive as much as 3 to 6 inches of snow.

Freezing rain may ice roads in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota.

Rain will drench areas from the southern reaches of the Upper Midwest southward into the Ohio Valley and Kentucky.
  
High temperatures will range from the 20s in the Plains to the 50s from eastern Kansas through Missouri into the Ohio Valley.

West
A powerful blizzard will continue to sweep over Denver and the central High Plains; blizzard warnings are posted for much of eastern Colorado, southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska until mid-day Thursday.

Rain and mountain snow showers will dot the Pacific Northwest as a cold front presses inland toward the Bitterroots.

Rain and mountain snow in northern California and northwest Nevada. Snow levels by evening will be down to near 4000 feet in northern California.

Highs will range from the 20s in the Rockies to the 60s in Southern California and southwest Arizona.

South
Rain and thunderstorms across the Deep South will target parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The downpours may grow particularly vigorous from southern Louisiana northward through Mississippi into western Tennessee.

High temperatures will range from the 30s in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles to the 80s along the west coast of the Florida Peninsula.

Northeast
Parts of western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and western Virginia will experience light rain.
Gusty northwest winds will bear drier air into New York State and New England.

High temperatures will range from the 30s over northern New York and northern New England to the 60s in eastern Virginia. (National Weather Service, media sources)

Pacific Northwest Storm Update

Oregon - As of 8:00 pm EST, December 20, 2006, the State of Oregon is conducting an initial damage assessment, gathering information from state and local agencies, concentrating on damages to public entities and infrastructures. This assessment is scheduled for completion by January 3, 2007. FEMA Region X will continue to monitor the situation. (FEMA Region X)

Washington State - As of 3:00 pm EST, December 20, 2006, 132,040 customers were without power down from 181,189 yesterday. (National Interagency Coordination Center)

High Winds Close the Weather Service Office in Yakutat, Alaska

Tuesday, December 19th, at approximately 10:30pm EST, a strong storm moving north from the Gulf of Alaska into Southeast Alaska produced high winds which ripped part of the roof off the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Service Office (WSO) in Yakutat, Alaska. The operations were transferred to the backup office in Juneau with no loss of service. (NOAA)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)