Skip to content

National Situation Update: Thursday, March 8, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather

West: Rain showers are forecast for western Washington and Oregon. Rain and snow showers are forecast for the Rocky Mountains with little significant accumulation. Maximum temperatures will be above seasonal averages with readings ranging from the 30s in the Rockies to the 80s in southeast California and southwest Arizona.

Midwest: The region will be dry today except for a few showers over the Dakotas and Minnesota, and a few snow flurries in Michigan. High temperatures are forecast to range from the 20s in Michigan to the 60s in Kansas and southwest Missouri.

South: The South will have plenty of sunshine and temperatures above early March averages in most areas. Highs are expected to range from the 50s in Tennessee and North Carolina to the 80s in south Florida.

Northeast: High pressure will bring a surge of cold arctic air to the region. Scattered snow showers are forecast with patchy light accumulations for New England, New York and northern Pennsylvania. High temperatures are forecast to range from single digits in northern New England to the 50s across southern Virginia.(NWS, media sources)

Smoke Forecast Tool

Expanding its suite of air quality forecast guidance, the NOAA National Weather Service has deployed its Smoke Forecast Tool into operations, following successful experimental testing over the last ten months. The Smoke Forecast Tool leverages capabilities both within and outside NOAA to forecast smoke concentrations in the air we breathe.

The Smoke Forecast Tool integrates the NOAA Satellite and Information Service's satellite information on the location of wildfires with NOAA National Weather Service weather inputs from the North American Mesoscale model and smoke dispersion simulations from the NOAA Research HYSPLIT model to produce a 48-hour prediction of smoke transport and concentration, updated daily. The model also incorporates U.S. Forest Service estimates for wildfire smoke emissions based on vegetation cover.

"The implementation of the Smoke Forecast Tool as an operational product expands the National Weather Service vision for and end-to-end national air quality forecast capability," said Paula Davidson, NOAA National Weather Service manager for air quality forecasting. "Our goal is to provide the United States with ozone, particulate matter and other pollutant forecasts with enough accuracy and advance notice to allow people to take action to prevent or reduce adverse effects. The introduction of the Smoke Forecast Tool is the first step toward achieving this goal for particulates."

The Smoke Forecast Tool was built and tested by a NOAA team that included efforts from NOAA Research, NOAA Satellite and Information Service, and NOAA National Weather Service. NOAA partners at the U.S. Forest Service provide wildfire emissions information, and the Environmental Protection Agency coordinates with state and local air quality forecasters. (excerpt from NOAA  http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/s2812.htm )

Tropical Weather Outlook

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

Western Pacific: No activity threatening U.S. Territories. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

There was no significant earthquake activity in United States during the last 24 hours.

On Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 12:03 am EST an earthquake measuring 6.1 struck an area in the Pacific Ocean about 395 miles south of Tokyo, Japan.  The depth was 86 miles. No tsunami generated. (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)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:49:43 EDT