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National Situation Update: Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Outlook

January was warmest on record.
U.S. forecasters say it was 8.5 degrees warmer than normal.

Northeast:  Lake-effect snow will be winding down on Wednesday. Look for snow showers to continue downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario but accumulations will be light.

East Coast cities will see temperatures mainly in the 30s but it will be dry. Otherwise, high temperatures will be near to slightly below average ranging from the teens near the Canadian border to the 40s in much of Virginia. 

South:  Look for light precipitation across parts of the South on Wednesday. Rain and snow showers across parts of Kentucky and Tennessee and reaching northern Alabama and northwest Georgia by late in the day. Precipitation may reach Atlanta by evening. All of this precipitation will be very light with no appreciable accumulations.

Meanwhile, sunny skies will prevail over Oklahoma, Texas and Florida. Temperatures will be slightly below average east of the Mississippi River, but above average to the west. Highs will range from the upper 30s across northern Tennessee to the 70s near Miami and in parts of Texas.

Midwest:  Light snow across parts of eastern Missouri and southern Illinois early on Wednesday.

A few lake-effect snow showers are possible across the Chicago area during the day, as well.

Temperatures will be near to below average for early February. Highs should range from the teens in the eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota to the 40s in parts of Kansas and extreme southwest Missouri. Highs will only be in the 20s around the Great Lakes. 

West:  Much of the West will remain dry on Wednesday. The exception will be across western and northern Washington where a few showers will fall.

Santa Ana winds will keep the wildfire danger high across parts of Southern California. Temperatures will generally be above average across the region. The parched Southwest will remain that way for quite awhile. High temperatures on Wednesday are expected to range from the upper 20s in Yellowstone N. P. to the 80s in southwest Arizona and lower elevations of Southern California. More high temperature records are expected across California.(USDOC/NOAA/NWS and Various Commercial and Media Sources)

Wildfire Spreads in Southern California

The Sierra Fire, which began yesterday, in the Black Star Canyon area of the Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. continues to burn in steep inaccessible terrain, and moving towards the Highway 91 and the Highway 241 interchange. Major Southern California Edison power transmission lines in the area remain threatened.

The 6,520-acre wildfire that triggered evacuations of more than 2,000 homes in northeastern Orange County apparently was ignited by remnants of a controlled burn in Cleveland National Forest that escaped, a U.S. Forest Service official said Tuesday.  The fire is approximately 10% contained with full containment expected on February 11th.   

Despite gusty Santa Ana winds, no homes had been lost in the blaze in northeastern Orange County. Evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday afternoon, for those displaced from neighborhoods in the cities of Orange and Anaheim about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

STATE/LOCAL RESPONSE:  955 firefighters from local, state and federal agencies are attempting to suppress the fire. Unified Command will continue with the United States Forest Service (USFS), California Department of Forestry (CDF), Orange County Fire Authority, City of Anaheim and City of Orange.

FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT:  A Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) request was approved yesterday by FEMA for this incident. There was a transition to USFS Type II IMT at 0900 EST Tuesday morning (2-7-06). FEMA Region IX will continue to monitor in close coordination with CDF and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.  (FEMA Region IX, Media Sources)

Tropical Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

Three light earthquakes shook the north-central region of Alaska today within a two hour period, with preliminary magnitudes of 3.5 to 4.3. The quakes were located about 88 miles east of Fort Yukon. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

A volcano in the Aleutian Islands produced an ash cloud Monday, prompting the Alaska Volcano Observatory to raise the mountain's threat level to Code Red.  Satellites detected the cloud after it detached from the summit of 5,676-foot Cleveland Volcano, located near the Aleutian chain's halfway point, on an uninhabited island. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Volcano Observatory)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Public Assistance PDA’s for 17 counties in Oregon were completed on February 4, 2006..  (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

No new Fire Management Assistance Grants have been approved since #2630 on February 6, 2006. (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)