Friday, February 10, 2012

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather:

SouthÂ*
Light to moderate rain is forecast from the Southern Plains and the Central Gulf Coast through the Tennessee Valley and into the Southeast throughout the day. Precipitation is forecast to be light; however, some of the storms could turn severe in the Coastal Carolinas and central/southern Florida. A wintry mix of rain and snow will move from Kentucky and Tennessee into the central Appalachians tonight.
Midwest
Lake-effect snows producing light to moderate snowfall accumulations are forecast for portions of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Snow accumulations may reach up to 3 inches in the Chicago metropolitan area and northwest Indiana. A wintry mix of rain and snow is possible in the Ohio Valley throughout the day. Below normal temperatures are expected through the day for the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes into the Northern and Central Plains. Highs are forecast in the teens and twenties in the affected areas.
West
Rain and mountain snow will continue in the Pacific Northwest and northern California through Saturday. Snow is expected in portions of the Northern Intermountain, Northern and Central Rockies and into the High Plains. Higher elevation areas may see heavy snow accumulation.
Northeast
Rain and snow showers are anticipated for the Mid-Atlantic region through this morning.Â*Lake-effect snow will impact portions of New York and Pennsylvania today. Above average temperatures of up to 15 degrees are expected in the New England region.(NOAA, National Weather Service and media sources)Â*

Space Weather:

No space weather storms have occurred in the past 24 hours and none are predicted for the next 24 hours.Â*(SWPC)Â*
New Satellite Instrument for Improved Weather Forecast Put Into Service

Â*
As of February 8, 2012, the Commissioning for all instrumentation on Americaâs new Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite is nearly complete. The Suomi NPP is designed to give scientists more refined information about Earthâs atmosphere and improve weather and climate forecast. This powerful satellite is now active and sending its first data back to Earth from Americaâs newest polar-orbiting satellite. There are five instruments aboard the Suomi NPP satellite, which NASA launched on October 28, 2011, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Since it reached orbit, these instruments, including four used in space for the first time, are undergoing extensive, initial checkouts before starting regular science observations.
The Cross-track Infrared Sounder, one of the five instruments on board, will produce high resolution, three-dimensional temperature, atmospheric pressure, and moisture profiles that will be used in NOAAâs weather prediction computer models to forecast severe weather days in advance. Over longer timescales this information will also help scientists understand climate phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña.
âData from CrIS will improve the quality, timeliness and accuracy of NOAAâs weather and climate predictions, which directly benefits everyone in America,â as stated by the Assistant Administrator for NOAAâs Satellite and Information Service.
The Suomi NPP team is expected to continue commissioning activities until the end of March. Upon completion, NOAA will operate Suomi NPP, and process and distribute the data to users around the world. âSuomi NPP instrument commissioning is going very well and the team is pleased that the satellite is taking the next step in its mission of providing this critical weather data to NOAA,â said Ken Schwer, Suomi NPP project manager.
The Suomi NPP mission is the bridge between NOAAâs Polar Operational Environmental Satellite and NASAâs Earth Observing System satellites to the next-generation Joint Polar Satellite System which NOAA will operate. NASAâs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the Suomi NPP mission for the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NOAAâs mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. (Source:www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20120208_nppinstrument.html)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)


More...