Tuesday, February 1, 2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

West
Brutal cold will continue across the Rockies and high Plains with high temperatures consistently below zero from Montana to northern Colorado. Snow will continue over the Four Corners states with isolated areas of New Mexico forecast to receive four inches to one foot by midweek. High temperatures in the lower elevations of California and southern Arizona will peak in the 50s and 60s.
Midwest
A blizzard is anticipated from eastern Kansas and much of Missouri into the Great Lakes with some areas around the southern Great Lakes likely to receive over two feet of snow. Closer to the warm front, a zone of destructive icing will develop from parts of the Ohio Valley into the Middle Mississippi Valley. Heavy ice coatings over an inch will develop from heavy rain and below freezing temperatures. Thunderstorms are possible in the snow, sleet and freezing rain areas. In the mildest air, heavy rainfall in the one to two inch range will fall across Kentucky. High temperatures in the Central and Northern Plains will be below zero with wind chill readings of -40 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. Nighttime temperatures may fall to as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit.
South
A potent storm will move into the Mississippi Valley and bring arctic air and dangerously low wind chills into the Southern Plains. Blizzard conditions may set up across northwest Texas and Oklahoma. Much of Oklahoma can expect snow accumulations near one foot. Freezing rain will change over to sleet and snow from north-central Texas to the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and significant icing is possible. Along and ahead of the cold front, severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts in excess of 45 mph and heavy rainfall, possibly up to two inches, will race eastward from eastern Texas to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. High temperatures in the region will range from the single digits in the Oklahoma Panhandle to near 80 degrees over the Florida Peninsula.
Northeast
Three to eight inches of snow is forecast for most of New York, northern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey and much of New England but some locations may receive closer to one foot. South of the snow, a light wintry mix or light freezing rain is expected across northern Virginia, northeast West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, southern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. High temperatures will range from the mid teens in northern Maine to the 40s in the southern Virginias. When the main storm arrives in the region on Tuesday night and Wednesday, New England is expected to receive more than a foot of snow. Areas of Pennsylvania north to southern New England will experience icing from freezing rain and areas south of Maryland and southern New Jersey will have rain. Temperatures across southernmost Pennsylvania, central New Jersey, New York City, Long Island and Cape Cod should rise above freezing, allowing any freezing rain or a mix to change to mostly rain for much of the day Wednesday.
(NOAA and various media sources)
Major Winter Storm

Numerous Watches, Warnings, and Advisories are in effect. Blizzard Warnings, Winter Storm Warnings, High Wind Warnings, Hard Freeze Warnings, Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, and Tornado Warnings are currently in effect for portions of Regions I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII. The National Watch Center continues to monitor activities nationwide. See the National Weather Service website for the latest information http://www.weather.gov/largemap.php.
In anticipation of the severe winter weather the Governors of Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma declared States of Emergency on January 31, 2011. The Governor of Kansas declared a State of Emergency on February 1, 2011.
The National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) is currently operating at Level II (Partial Activation with 24/7 operations) with Emergency Support Functions 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, and 15 activated. In addition, liaisons from the Department of Defense, NORTHCOM, U.S. Coast Guard, DHS Infrastructure Protection, DHS Office of Health Affairs, NOAAâs National Weather Service, Private Sector Liaison and the Remote Sensing Coordinator are also activated.
FEMA Regional Response Coordination Centers in Regions II, III, V, and VI are currently operating at Partial Activation levels. FEMA Region IV will activate to Level III (Partial Activation) on Wednesday morning, February 2, 2011. FEMA Regions I and VII are monitoring.
The FEMA Region II Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) and the FEMA State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Liaison are on standby. A FEMA Region III Liaison, a Federal Coordinating Officer, and a Region III IMAT team are deployed to support the Pennsylvania EOC. FEMA Region IV Liaisons are on standby for deployment to the Kentucky and Tennessee State EOCs, as required. FEMA Region V Liaisons are deployed to the Illinois and Indiana State EOC, one is on standby for the Ohio EOC, as required and three Region V IMATs are on standby. FEMA Region VI Liaisons are deployed to support the Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas EOCs, as required.
Earthquake Activity

No significant activity.
(USGS)
Preliminary Damage Assessments

There are joint Preliminary Damage Assessments underway in New York and Oregon.
(FEMA HQ, FEMA Region II, FEMA Region X)
Stay informed of FEMA's activities online: videos and podcasts available atÂ*www.fema.gov/medialibrary andÂ*www.youtube.com/fema; follow us on Twitter atÂ*www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook atÂ*www.facebook.com/fema.


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