Friday, October 29, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

Midwest
High Pressure dominates the central U.S., bringing considerably calmer conditions to those areas recently impacted by a strong storm system. Much colder temperatures will prevail over the area for the next several days, with nighttime lows below freezing. Freeze Warnings are in effect through this morning across the Middle Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley. Red Flag Warnings are in effect for northeastern Kansas for a combination of cured fuels, low relative humidity and strong winds.
Northeast
Precipitation will be light and confined to areas from western Pennsylvania to northern New England. Lower elevations will see scattered light rain showers while higher elevations could see a few snow showers or rain and snow showers mixed. The Mid-Atlantic region will see more sunshine, cooler temperatures and lower humidity levels. High temperatures will only reach the 40s from western Pennsylvania up to parts of northern New England. Highs in the middle to upper 50s will prevail from Down East Maine to northern Virginia. Freeze Warnings and Watches are in effect across ports of Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well as southeastern New York and Connecticut.
South
Cooler, drier air will set up over much of the South. Parts of Arkansas will see temperatures dip to near or below freezing. Friday will be mainly sunny, with precipitation confined to a few showers across southern Florida. Highs are expected to be in the 70s west of the Mississippi River and in the 60s from the Mississippi Valley to the Carolinas. Central and southern Florida will see highs up into the middle 80s. Red Flag Warnings are in effect today across portions of the southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle as a result of strong winds and low relative humidity. A Red Flag Warning continues through this morning for coastal counties of eastern Texas as a result of high winds and low relative humidity. Freeze Warnings and Frost Advisories are in effect through late morning across portions of the Southern Plains, the Lower Mississippi Valley and the Tennessee Valley.
West
A storm system moving onshore from the Pacific will keep weather conditions unsettled from Washington down to Northern California. Snow will fall from the Cascades down to the northern Sierra Nevada. Clouds and showers will impact parts of the West Coast region on Friday, with showers expected from western Oregon to the San Francisco Bay area. Higher elevations of the southern Cascades and northern Sierra Nevada will pick up some light snow. High temperatures will be around 90 across the Desert Southwest. In contrast, much of the Northwest will be in the cooler 50s. Locations east of the Rockies, like Denver, will likely see temperatures in the middle 70s. (NOAAâs National Weather Service, the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and media sources)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico
Tropical Storm Shary
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Shary was about 265 miles south of Bermuda.
Shary is moving toward the northwest near 18 mph. A turn toward the north with a decrease in forward speed is expected later today followed by a turn to the northeast tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Shary is expected to pass near or over Bermuda late today. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph, with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast today with weakening likely over the weekend.
Eastern Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Central Pacific
No tropical cyclones are expected through Saturday evening.
Western Pacific
No activity affecting U.S. interests. (NOAA, NWS, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

National Preparedness: Level 1
National Fire Activity as of Thursday, October 28, 2010:
Initial attack activity: Light (64 new fires)
New large fires: 1
Large fires contained: 1
Uncontained large fires: 8
States Affected: MS, LA, FL, TX, VA, KY, OK, AR, & MO (NIFC)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
No activity. (HQ FEMA)
Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
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