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National Situation Update: Friday, October 31, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
A Pacific cold front is moving ashore and will produce showers and snow in the higher elevations of Washington, Oregon and parts of northern and central California.  Scattered showers will push eastward to western Montana, western Wyoming and Utah.  Winds will gust to over 50 mph in the high Sierra of northern and central California.  Tomorrow, a stronger cold front will hit the West Coast. Gusty winds could top 75 mph in the highest elevations of the Sierra this weekend.
Midwest:
Except for a few showers in the Ozarks, the region will be dry.  A dry cold front will move through the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes producing little weather, but will result in below freezing temperatures tonight for northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.
South:
High pressure will build over the region, resulting in mainly sunny skies and seasonable temperatures.
An isolated thunderstorm is possible over the lower Mississippi River Valley into early Saturday.
Northeast:
With high pressure building over the East Coast, precipitation will be limited to western New York and northern New England. (NOAA; National Weather Service; Various Media Sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Area 1:  Showers and thunderstorms centered about 1100 miles east of the Lesser Antilles continue in association with a trough of low pressure.  Upper-level winds are unfavorable for development and tropical cyclone formation is not expected here or elsewhere during the next 48 hours.

Eastern Pacific:
Area 1: Disorganized shower activity about 925 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California continues in association with a weak area of low pressure. Upper-level winds are forecast to remain unfavorable for significant development of this system and tropical cyclone formation is not expected here or elsewhere during the next 48 hours.

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)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of Thursday, October 30, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 1
Initial attack activity: Light (57 new fires)
New large fires: 0
Uncontained large fires: 1 (CA)
Large fires contained: 0

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)