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National Situation Update: Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Blizzards in the West - Severe Weather Expected in Central U.S.

West:
Blizzard warnings are in effect for portions of Montana and Wyoming.

Portions of the West will be affected by heavy, wind-driven wet snow, with possible blizzard or near-blizzard conditions.

Heavy snow will extend southward and westward into the mountains of southeast Idaho, Utah and western Colorado with possible snow showers as far south as northwest New Mexico.

Strong winds will cause considerable blowing and drifting of snow and travel may become difficult.

Cold rain mixed with wet snow will fall in the lower elevations of the region.

Much of the Southwest will experience strong winds, blowing dust and sand reducing visibilities from southern California through southwest Arizona to New Mexico.

Midwest:
A north-south oriented cold front over western Nebraska and western Kansas will create the possibility of large hail and a few tornadoes ahead of the winter storm in the Plains.

A stationary front in the upper Ohio Valley could trigger scattered strong thunderstorms across eastern Kentucky and West Virginia.

Strong east or southeast winds will occur over much of the Plains and Upper Midwest.

Northeast:
Colder air will affect the Northeast today as a strong Canadian high pressure area moves southward along the East Coast and Appalachians.

South:
Showers and thunderstorms may occur across parts of southern Virginia and North Carolina.
 
Strong to severe thunderstorms with a possibility of tornadoes could occur across parts of western Texas late today. (NWS, Media Sources)

Wildland Fire Outlook - March through June, 2007

Significant fire potential is expected to be higher than normal from the Pacific Northwest to the western Great Lakes, southern California, western Arizona and portions of the Southeast. Fire season potential is shaped by a number of factors, including snowpack, the timing of spring snowmelt, rainfall, temperatures and drought. The most critical factors influencing fire potential this outlook period are:

• El Niño is rapidly weakening and will likely end by late spring. However, it may bring increased rainfall over portions of the Southwest and Southern Plains during March.

• Current drought conditions across portions of Wyoming, and the Northern Rockies eastward to the Great Lakes are forecast to persist and elevate fire potential.

• Much of the West will continue to see normal to below normal snowpack through the end of spring.

• Dry winter and spring weather in southern California and western Arizona is expected to increase fire potential.

• Current drought and fuel conditions in Oklahoma and Texas are much improved compared to last
   season; thus, normal to below normal fire potential is predicted for these areas. (National Fire  Interagency Center)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean/Eastern Pacific: No significant activity to report.

Western Pacific: No significant activity to report. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No significant earthquake or tsunami activity.(USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

Wildfire activity for the week ending March 23, 2007 was heavy with 2,536 new fires reported; of which 2,374 occurred in the Southern Area. Twenty-eight of the new fires were large fires. At week's end there were 9 uncontained large fires in the U.S.

The National Fire Interagency Center (NIFC) indicates that dry conditions will persist over Florida and much of the southeastern states through this week. (National Interagency Fire Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)