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National Situation Update: Sunday, March 18, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather

Northeast:
The low pressure system that produced this weekend's snow is now over Quebec. The northwesterly winds on the backside of the low will produce a few wrap around snow showers from northern Pennsylvania to Maine with only light accumulations Windy conditions will remain across the entire region producing wind chills in the teens and 20s. High temperatures will range from the mid to upper 30s from New York to Maine some 10-15 degrees below average.

Midwest:
A fast-moving Canadian clipper system will bring a wintry mix to the Upper Midwest moving east from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes and the Upper Mississippi Valley. The associated cold front will drop down into the northern Plains and Midwest early in the week producing showers and thunderstorms. High temperatures will range from the 30s along the Canadian border to the 70s in Kansas.

South:
High pressure over Kentucky will produce spring like weather over the entire region. High temperatures will warm into the 40s and 50s from southern Virginia to the Carolinas and Texas will reach the 80s.

West:
A cold front will produce rain and drizzle over coastal Washington and Oregon.  A deep marine layer will bring morning fog to the Southern California Coast. A very strong ridge of high pressure will remain in place over the region producing another day of record and near record highs. Afternoon highs are forecast to run between 10-20 degrees warmer than seasonal norms from Arizona to Montana. (NWS, media sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report. (FEMA HQ)

Vernal Equinox

The astronomical end of winter occurs with the passing of the Vernal Equinox, which falls on March 20th at 8:07 pm EDT. At this moment the center of the Sun's disc passes directly over the Earth's Equator at a point out over the middle of the Pacific Ocean near the International Date Line. This marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. (U.S. Naval Observatory http://www.usno.navy.mil/pao/sky/sky_week.shtml)

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

The most significant earthquake during the last 24 hours occurred at 10:11 PM EDT on Saturday, March 17, 2007. The magnitude 6.3 event occurred 305 miles west of Bogota, Columbia, at a depth of 6.2 miles.

No tsunami was generated and there were no reports of any injuries or damages.  (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 16:46:50 EDT