Taban Sharifi grew up in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego. She is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) with the American Meteorological Society (AMS). She has a B.S. in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Environmental Sciences with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Go Bruins! While in school, Taban was a meteorology intern with NBC LA. There she helped forecast daily weather for the greater Los Angeles region and created a playbook to deploy weather sensors for NBC owned-and-operated stations across the country. Her first on-air job took her to San Angelo, Texas, where she was a morning meteorologist and co-anchor. Working in West Texas gave her knowledge and experience covering severe storms. From there, she moved to Palm Springs, California. People think forecasting in California is sunshine all the time, but with temperatures in the 120’s, wildfires, damaging winds, floodings, and earthquakes, the forecasting kept her very busy! She also worked there as a general assignment reporter and told community stories. Taban is excited for the challenge and opportunity to forecast nationally with WeatherNation. She also looks forward to exploring all that Colorado has to offer!

Taban Sharifi

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It's been unbearably hot across the West for the last week, after warm and dry conditions for a good chunk of the winter season. This has led to drought conditions, with dry vegetation ready to burn. Another cold front moves across the Northern Rockies and High Plains, increasing fire danger into the upcoming week. Fire Weather Alerts are in effect through Monday. There are even threats for isolated dry thunderstorms, that can spark wildfires, in Arizona and New Mexico through Monday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 154404-1774820651547.png">On the heels of the largest fire in Nebraska's history, two additional fires broke out last Thursday morning. The Ashby and Minor fires grew rapidly by tens of thousands of acres, very close to the Morrill burn scar. Given the continued fire weather conditions, more fire growth is possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 062145-1774779714146.png">Keep it locked in on WeatherNation, as we continue to update you on these fires and their impacts!

Passing Fronts Increase Fire Danger

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A strong cold front raced across the Midwest on Thursday, producing numerous severe thunderstorms. A few small tornadoes were confirmed in Ohio; otherwise, the biggest issues were wind and hail.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-27 044015-1774608059978.png">Hail the size of tennis balls fell in Mount Etna, Indiana, with quite a few more significant hail reports over the size of golf balls! Thankfully, the hail was nowhere near the size of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/destructive-tornadoes-hail-rip-through-central-us">record-breaking 6"+ hailstone that fell about two weeks ago</a>.As a weak wave of low pressure moves through Monday night into Tuesday, severe storms will be possible around the Great Lakes. This threat will likely continue along the front into Tuesday afternoon from the Great Lakes down to Texas.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 153811-1774820296979.png">Severe Outlooks</h1>A Marginal threat for severe weather has been issued from the Storm Prediction Center Monday night. This outlook will carry on into Tuesday morning. The main hazards are expected to be strong damaging winds and large hailstones.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 153830-1774820320035.png">A Slight risk is in effect for Tuesday. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 153834-1774820383935.png"><h1>Forecast Timing</h1>Showers and storms will begin late into the evening hours Monday, more so overnight into Tuesday. The storms will carry on throughout the day Tuesday, especially through the afternoon along and ahead of the frontal boundary.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/0329-1774820472597.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>While it's still a bit too early to determine locations and threats for this next event, climatology tells us where tornadoes are more likely heading into the month of April.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-27 044209-1774608399915.png">

Large Hail Hits the Midwest, Strong Storms Return This Week

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While much of the country, and in particular the Southwest, has been baking underneath a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/record-heat-rolls-east-this-week">historic heatwave</a>, a shift in the jet stream will mean cooler and wetter weather ahead!<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/03291-1774820785410.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Precipitation chances will persist through much of next week, especially for the Four Corners on Tuesday. Another strong upper-level low dropping in from the Northwest could keep things active through the latter half of next week.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 154639-1774820804053.png">For late season skiing, there looks to be fresh snowfall for the mountains of Utah and Colorado.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 154656-1774820840037.png">Although not a "Drought Buster" by any means, these systems will at least help put a dent into the record-low snowpack across the West, along with some relief from the heat! Catch more on your full Western Regional Forecast, :50 past the hour on WeatherNation.

SW Pattern Change Ahead: Tracking Rain & Snow

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Rob grew up in South Florida, where daily afternoon storms and hurricanes piqued his interest in meteorology early on. That interest was fostered by his teachers and his father, who one time brought him onto the roof of their home to watch a funnel cloud move through the Everglades several miles away. Years of filmmaking and tv production in high school gradually pushed him toward broadcast meteorology at Florida State University, where he joined and eventually led the student run daily weather show. After graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Meteorology, he began his career at KESQ in Palm Springs, California before heading to KFSN in Fresno and WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina. He has covered a diverse array of extreme weather events, including haboobs and flash flooding in the desert, extreme snow in the Sierra, hurricanes, and Appalachian ice storms. He also enjoys telling stories and reporting about weather issues.

Connect with Rob on <a href="https://twitter.com/WxRobBradley">Twitter</a>

Rob Bradley

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Artemis 2 is finally ready to launch! After testing reveled a few issues in February and March, those issues have been resolved which has given the mission a go for launch in a window that opens Wednesday afternoon, April 1st.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 091928-1774711352235.png">What is the Artemis program? To put it simply, it's the first step in a series of programs to humans to Mars, but first, Artemis aims to bring humans back the moon, establishing a base while testing humanity's ability to live outside of Earth's orbit.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 091131a-1774710738504.jpg">This will be the first mission since 1972 to take humans before low-earth orbit, and likely farther from earth than any human has traveled before.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 062330-1774779830004.png">When it comes to launch day, the forecast is critical. Florida will likely have some pop-up showers, but it's a bit too early to determine if any thunderstorms could be in the area. Lightning poses a major issue and does frequently cause delays in Central Florida, but even a building cumulus field can cause launch issues.

Alana Cameron

Artemis 2 Set To Launch Wednesday, Watching the Forecast

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Kevin Schneider

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ABOVE - The month of March has been setting record after record, with nearly 100 locations nationwide breaking all-time March records. Each red dot above denotes a city that has tied or broken its all-time March record.It cooled off in parts of the Central United States. More records fell in the Southwest again to no surprise!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1774750433546.png"><h1>Heat Continues, Surges Back Briefly</h1>While some areas are getting a nice cool down this weekend, locations like Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and Phoenix are still stuck under the pesky ridge of high pressure. This will lead to additional record heat through early next week before this pattern finally comes to an end.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 083245-1774794789798.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 133236-1774812763169.png">Highs stick to the 90s and 100s in the desert areas of Nevada, California, and Arizona through tonight. Record heat potential lingers through the mid-week in the Southwest before rain and cooler temperatures finally arrive!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-29 133300-1774812793798.png">There are signs that the pattern is beginning to change, with higher confidence in above-average temperatures shifting to the southeastern half of the country as we begin April. This would also suggest more of a classic, springtime severe thunderstorm pattern.

SW Pattern Change Ahead: Tracking Rain & Snow

Artemis 2 Set To Launch Wednesday, Watching the Forecast

More Record Highs Obliterated in Historic Heat Wave

Passing Fronts Increase Fire Danger

Large Hail Hits the Midwest, Strong Storms Return This Week

SW Pattern Change Ahead: Tracking Rain & Snow

Artemis 2 Set To Launch Wednesday, Watching the Forecast

More Record Highs Obliterated in Historic Heat Wave

Passing Fronts Increase Fire Danger

Large Hail Hits the Midwest, Strong Storms Return This Week

SW Pattern Change Ahead: Tracking Rain & Snow

Artemis 2 Set To Launch Wednesday, Watching the Forecast

More Record Highs Obliterated in Historic Heat Wave