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National Situation Update: Monday, December 8, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
Much of the West Coast states will be dry, except for some lingering snow showers in the Washington and Oregon Cascades.  Snow is forecast for much of the western mountains and the lower elevations of Montana and Wyoming. The heaviest accumulations will be in the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains of south-central Montana, the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies, the Palmer Divide and Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains.   Mixed rain and snow showers are forecast for the lower elevations of the Four Corners states.
Midwest:
A trough of low pressure will produce light snow from the Dakotas to Michigan.  A wintry mixture of snow, rain and sleet is forecast from Nebraska eastward into northern Ohio.  Only a few rain showers are forecast for the Central Midwest.   Conditions will worsen tonight as a major storm system strengthens over the Southern Plains.  Winter storm watches are in effect from this evening through Tuesday afternoon from Nebraska into lower Michigan. A low pressure system will gather strength along the front range of the Rockies, moving out into the central plains states. This storm system will then move northeast into the Great Lakes by Tuesday night. A band of heavy snow is expected to fall across parts of northern Iowa, southern Wisconsin and extreme southeast Minnesota. Snow accumulations of 6 or more inches are possible. Increasing winds will result in blowing and drifting snow.
South:
Under a high pressure system centered over the Mid Atlantic, most of the region will be dry except for a few light showers in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and the coasts of Florida and Georgia.   A developing low pressure system will bring showers and thunderstorms to east Texas and Oklahoma tonight.
Northeast:
The region will be dry but cold with just a few light snow showers in western New York state and northwest Pennsylvania late in the day.(NOAA, National Weather Service and Various Media Sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Western Pacific:
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)