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National Situation Update: Saturday, October 6, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Summary

West:
A frontal system is producing wintry conditions across much of the Region this weekend. Expect heavy snow from central Montana, through eastern Idaho and western Wyoming, to Utah. Tonight and Sunday, the snow will move across Wyoming and the mountains of Colorado. Showers and thunderstorms will develop from eastern Montana to the lower elevations of Utah and the western half of Colorado. A tight pressure gradient ahead of the front will produce gusty winds all weekend. Highs will range from the 30s and 40s in the northern and central Rockies to the 80s in the Desert Southwest.

Midwest:
The region will be dry except for a few thunderstorms across the northern Great Lakes and western High Plains. The frontal system discussed above will produce gusty winds through much of the weekend. Highs range from 50s along the Canadian border to summer like 80s and lower 90s,  across the Midwest and Plains.

South:
Showers and thunderstorms develop from North Carolina to Florida, along the northern Gulf Coast and across the southern Plains. High temperatures will be in the 80s with a few 90s in the lower Mississippi Valley and Texas.

Northeast:
A cold front will slide southward through Upstate New York and New England today producing a few thunderstorms. Highs range from 50s, north of the front to record high 80s. (National Weather Service, Media reports)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report. (FEMA HQ)

California Sink Hole

The City of San Diego on October 4, 2007, proclaimed a local emergency as a result of a landslide in the Mount Soledad area and requested the Governor to proclaim a State of Emergency and request a Presidential Disaster declaration.  The County of San Diego did not proclaim a local emergency.

There are seven red tag homes, eight yellow tag homes, and 27 temporary yellow tag homes.  The power, gas, and water outages are confined to these forty- two (42) homes.  Security at the site is being conducted by San Diego Police Department, and a water tender is on scene for fire suppression.  The shelter at La Jolla high school has been closed and they did not receive any evacuees. 

State OES in conjunction with State OES Recovery and San Diego County will conduct a site visit today.  The area of Soledad Mountain Road and Palomino Circle is closed due to conditions.

The City of San Diego deactivated their EOC and does not anticipate the necessity to reactivate for this event.

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic - Caribbean Sea - Gulf of Mexico
An area of disturbed weather centered about 150 miles north-northwest of Puerto Rico associated with a surface trough and upper-level low has changed little in organization. However, upper-level winds are becoming more favorable for development and further organization of this system is possible over the next couple of days as it moves slowly northward.

Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with a weak area of low pressure over the northwestern Caribbean Sea has decreased this evening.  However, some slow development of this system is possible over the next few days as it drifts to the west or southwest.

A weak area of low pressure along a tropical wave is located about 775 miles east of the Windward Islands.  Upper-level winds are unfavorable for tropical cyclone development.

Elsewhere, tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Eastern Pacific:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Central and Western Pacific:
Super Typhoon 17W (Krosa) is approximately 315 miles south- southwest of Naha, Okinawa, Japan and poses no threat to United States territories. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No significant activity in the United States during the last 24 hours.(USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level:  1
States Most Affected: None.
National Fire Activity: as of Friday, October 5, 2007:

• Initial Attack Activity: Light with 107 new fires.
• New large fires:  1
• Large fires contained: 3
• Uncontained large fires: 0
• 2007 acres burned to date: 8,245,535.
• Current Situation:  Gusty offshore winds this weekend over portions of southern California. The Southeast will see scattered showers with generally warm, dry weather in the Northeast. (National Interagency Coordination Center, National Incident Information Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Nothing significant to report.  (FEMA Regions, HQ)