Friday, November 12, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

Midwest
Showers and thunderstorms will develop along and near a front reaching from the Middle Mississippi Valley/Central Plains to the Southern Plains today. Rain extending from the Central Plains into parts of the Upper Midwest will move into the Upper Great Lakes and continue along the front into western/central Gulf Coast on Saturday. In addition, the system will bring enough cold air southward on the backside of the storm to produce light snow over parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley into parts of the Upper Great Lakes also on Saturday.
West
A Pacific front approaching the Northwest will begin to produce rain and higher elevation snow overnight Friday to the Pacific Northwest and extend as far inland as the Northern Rockies on Saturday. An upper level disturbance over the Northwest will move southeastward to the Central High Plains triggering light snow showers over parts of the northern Rockies on Friday and moving into the Central Rockies by Saturday. A dry, cold air mass over the Great Basin will bring sub-freezing temperatures across the interior valleys of California through tonight. Strong Santa Ana winds can be expected over the Los Angeles and Ventura County mountains and Santa Clarita Valley in southwest California throughout today. Stronger winds are expected Friday night into Saturday.
South
High pressure over much of the Southeast will bring clear skies and warm temperatures to much of the South through Saturday. Light rain will move into the region from the northwest on Saturday and Sunday as isolated showers continue to move north over portions of East Texas and Southeast Oklahoma. Thunderstorms associated with the approaching cold front are possible across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles.
Northeast
No significant weather is expected in the region today, and calm weather is expected through Sunday afternoon. Daytime highs will be on the mild side while nighttime lows will be seasonably cold.
(NOAAâs National Weather Service, the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and media sources)
October 2010 Weather Highlights:

The contiguous United States had its 11th warmest October on record, according to the latest NOAA State of the Climate report, issued November 8, 2010. Warmer-than-normal conditions prevailed throughout the western U.S. and the Midwest. Only two of the U.S. climate regions, both along the Eastern Seaboard, experienced average temperatures. No state had below-normal average temperatures. More than half of the U.S. was above average. Wyoming had its fourth warmest October, and Montana had its seventh warmest.
A low-pressure system that developed in the Upper Midwest on Oct. 25 and rapidly intensified the following day broke state records for lowest atmospheric pressure observed in Minnesota and Wisconsin. According to preliminary data from NOAAâs Storm Prediction Center, 72 tornadoes and 514 severe wind events were reported Oct. 24-27 from this system.
According to NOAAâs Storm Prediction Center, there were 121 preliminary tornado reports nationwide during October. The final count will likely rank October 2010 among the five busiest Octobers on record. Eight confirmed tornadoes in Arizona on October 6 set a single-day record for the state.
NCDC's Climate Extremes Index (CEI), which measures the prevalence of several types of climate extremes, was about nine points higher than its historical average for the year so far. Factors contributing to this elevated 2010 value were large footprints of warm overnight temperatures, many locations experiencing a high number of rainy days and a large number of places with very high one-day precipitation totals.
Five hurricanes formed in the Atlantic basin in October, bringing the seasonal tropical cyclone count to 12 hurricanes and 7 tropical storms. To date, the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season has had the third-most named storms, tying with 1995 and 1887. Only 2005 and 1933 have experienced more named tropical storms. So far, this year is tied with 1969 and 1887 for the second most Atlantic hurricanes, behind 2005. http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/Â*(NOAA)
Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity

A Magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred today, November 12 at 4:46 a.m. EST in the vicinity of the Fox Islands in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The earthquake occurred offshore 44 miles southwest of Nikolski, AK at a depth of 20.5 miles. The West Coast Tsunami Warning CenterÂ*issued a statement indicating that the earthquake magnitude was such that a tsunami was not generated.
Â*(USGS; West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)
Wildfire Update

National Preparedness: Level 1
National Fire Activity as of Wednesday, November 11, 2010:
Initial attack activity: LIGHT (143 new fires)
New large fires: 4
Large fires contained: 3
Uncontained large fires: 13
States Affected: KY, OK, TX, AR, VA, and, NC, GA, IN, MO, IL (NIFC)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
No activity. (HQ FEMA)
Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)


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