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National Situation Update: Saturday, February 18, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West: The Pacific Northwest will be cold and dry under high pressure. A frontal system across northern California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico will produce significant snowfall.

A heavy snow warning is in effect for the northern and central Sierra-Nevada with a snow advisory for Reno and a winter storm watch for some of the southern mountains. One to two feet of snow may fall above 6000 feet in the Sierras and up to eight inches in the San Bernardino, San Gabriel and Tehachapi Mountains. Snow levels will range from 1500 feet mid-state to 4000 feet in the mountains overlooking San Diego. In lower elevations showers are forecast for central and southern California and the lower Colorado River Valley.

Midwest: A cold dome of high pressure over the midwest will result in little significant weather but high temperatures will be in the single digits, teens and 20s. A few snow showers are forecast around the Great Lakes and from southern Missouri northward to the Ohio Valley.

South: Upper-level disturbances will produce all the significant weather across the south today. A wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will fall across northern Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Snow will spread across southern Kentucky, much of Tennessee, the southern Appalachians, southern Virginia and northern North Carolina. Sleet and freezing rain will fall over northern Mississippi, northern Alabama and northern Georgia. Temperatures will be 10 to 30 degrees below average.

Northeast: Look for a cold weekend across the Northeast with gusty winds. Daytime temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees below average with single digits along the Canadian border to 40s in Virginia. Lake-effect snow will fall over western New York south of Buffalo and in the Tug Hill Plateau possibly into Sunday. (NOAA/NWS and Various Commercial and Media Sources)

High Winds Cause Power Outages

High Winds associated with a strong cold front raced across the Northeast states yesterday producing widespread wind damage.  There were numerous reports of 60 to 80 mph wind gusts across upstate New York and New England, with numerous 40 to 70 mph wind gusts across Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, and around New York City.

Power outages due to the high winds were reported Friday in several States, including New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan, with shelters opening in some areas for residents without power.  Outages were expected to last through today and into Sunday in some areas.

Stratton Mountain, Vermont, at an elevation of 3,885 feet, reported winds of 143 mph. Other notable wind reports were 77 mph at Rochester New York, 64 mph at Syracuse New York, 60 mph at Albany New York, 58 at Boston Massachusetts, 56 mph at JFK Airport (New York City) and Newark New Jersey, and 55 mph at Mount Pocono and Lancaster Pennsylvania. (NOAA, News Media Sources)

NDMS Deployment to New Orleans

As of 5:30 p.m. EST February 16, two Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) and one Management Support Team (MST) have been notified to deploy to New Orleans to augment hospital emergency room needs due to a surge in the return of residents to the area. At present this is a 14-day deployment.  See "FEMA Readiness Alert Status," below. (NDMS)

Wildfires Incident Management Situation Report, February 17, 2006

National Preparedness Level 1

Initial attack activity was moderate nationally this week with 500 new fires reported. Thirty-seven new large fires were reported, 23 in the Southern Area, 9 in the Southwest Area, 4 in the Rocky Mountain Area and 1 in the Eastern Area. Thirty large fires were contained, 16 in the Southern Area, 9 in the Southwest Area, 4 in the Rocky Mountain Area and 1 in the Eastern Area.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. (NIFC, NICC)

Volcano Activity

Alaska's Augustine volcano remains at the Current Level of Concern Color Code: ORANGE (volcano is in eruption or eruption may occur at any time) (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Volcano Observatory)

Tropical Activity

There are no active tropical disturbances in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No significant activity during the last 24 hours. (Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)