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National Situation Update: Monday, December 19, 2005

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Summary

West: The next in a series of storms lined up in the Pacific Ocean will strike the West Coast on Monday. Rain will once again visit northern California, western Oregon, and western Washington with the heaviest downpours targeting coastal northern California towards coastal southwest Oregon.

In Portland, the snow that started on Sunday afternoon will begin to fall as freezing rain especially early in the day on Monday.  At the Columbia River Gorge, conditions will be worse with freezing rain, sleet, and snow prevailing much of the day.

On the west slopes of the Washington Cascades falling tree branches and downed power lines will be likely by Monday night and Tuesday morning. Areas of light snow and snow showers will extend inland to the Bitterroots, Wasatch and Colorado Rockies. 

Midwest: Much of the Midwest and Plains will be sunny tomorrow with snow flurries likely confined to southern Michigan and northeast Ohio. Blustery westerly winds will prevail from North Dakota southeastward to Michigan (again, including the Chicago area).
Northeast: Snow showers and flurries will dot northern New England, Upstate New York and areas from western New York state southward through West Virginia tomorrow. The larger cities from Boston to Washington, however, will be dry. Temperatures, meanwhile, will remain somewhat below average with the chilliness enhanced by gusty winds.

South: Just a few showers across the Florida Peninsula, extreme southern Texas and West Texas. In West Texas, it was a miserable day on Sunday in the Texas Panhandle with freezing drizzle and fog, making for tricky travel on area roadways, especially between Amarillo and Lubbock. This is a stubborn weather feature and will likely linger into Monday, with a mix of freezing drizzle, fog, and intermittent snow showers.  (USDOC/NOAA/NWS and Various Commercial and Media Sources)

Power Remains Out For 212,000 in Carolinas

Duke Power said about 212,000 people remain without power late Sunday afternoon in North Carolina and South Carolina after Thursday's ice storms knocked trees onto power lines and put homes in the dark. Full restoration is estimated to be completed by 11 pm  Tuesday, December 20, 2005.

• In North Carolina: 49,000
• In South Carolina: 163,000 (Duke Power)

Tropical Activity

There is no tropical activity in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Pacific.

Two Tropical Cyclones , one 858 miles southeast of Bombay, India and the other 584 miles south-southeast of Da Nang, Vietnam  pose no threat to US interests.   (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

During the last 24 hours, there were a number of minor earthquakes over 3.0 magnitude in Alaska (2), and Hawaii (1).  There were no reports of casualties or damage. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)