Originally born in Spokane, Washington,  Jackie's Dad was in the Air Force which led her to a life of travel. She has lived in Wichita, Okinawa, Japan, Baltimore, New Jersey, Indiana and South Carolina.  After graduating from Kadena High School, in Okinawa Japan, she got a full basketball scholarship to Coppin State College. On the court she was a 4-year starter and reached over 1000 points in her basketball career. She was also named Athlete of the Year for the whole university in 2002. Off the court, she earned a degree in Broadcast Production/English.

After college, she landed a job as a radio personality. Jackie went on to have a successful career for 12 years working at KXLY broadcast center. While on the radio, she decided to change career. Jackie went back to school, graduating from the Mississippi State Meteorology Broadcast Program. From snow, to tornadoes, to hurricanes, she has had experience forecasting all these events.

Jackie Brown

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<h1>SOUTHEAST </h1>Over 96% of the Southeast is in moderate to exceptional drought. These dry conditions have been one of many factors increasing the fire threat across the southeast. Over the next few days, we can see gusty conditions combined with the drought, which will aid any fires that start rapidly! Red flag warnings and fire weather watches remain in place over the next few days. If you are in a local burn ban, please use caution and obey! <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/fire southeast-1776713854781.png">Because of these dry conditions, we have seen multiple wildfires break out. On Sunday, fire crews responded to the N. Main Street Fire in Gainesville, Florida. As of now, this fire is 25 percent contained.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/fire droughts-1776714061093.png"><h1>CENTRAL PLAINS </h1>Across the plains, gusty winds, dry conditions, and drought will all contribute to extreme fire conditions. Red flag warnings and fire weather watches are in place this week, as any fire that develops can spread rapidly! Please use extreme caution if you are doing any burning, and check to make sure you are allowed to burn. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/fire plains-1776713881769.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/plains drought-1776713890395.png">

Extreme Drought Leads To Fire Concerns Across The Nation

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Kevin Schneider

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While the severe thunderstorm risk ends with the latest system pushing off the Atlantic Coast, another potent upper trough will move into the middle states by the middle of next week. The Storm Prediction Center is already highlighting an area of potential severe weather Wednesday through Friday, from the Plains to the Lower Mississippi River Valley.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-18 192833-1776562725783.png">This upper-level low will bring strong winds aloft, enhancing shear for any storms that are able to form in the environment. This turning of the winds as you go up in the atmosphere will help organize those storms.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-20 035121-1776678696660.png">Meanwhile, at the surface, heat and humidity will build during the afternoons, creating an unstable atmosphere. Storms that form will strengthen quickly!<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/0420-1776695361167.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Long-range, less resolute models fire thunderstorms each afternoon, beginning Wednesday. With more rounds of rain moving over similar locations, flooding will need to be monitored as a potential threat. The WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlook has highlighted the threat of heavy rain from the Central Plains to the Gulf Coast from Wednesday to Friday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-20 082952-1776695398089.png">

Severe Thunderstorms Ramp Back Up This Week

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<h1>WHAT TO EXPECT</h1>A blast of cold air has brought freeze warnings across portions of the Great Lakes, Midwest, and East. Temperatures will drop sub-freezing over the next few mornings. These temps can impact crops and sensitive vegetation with the potential to damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. These alerts will be in place through Tuesday morning. By midweek, temperatures will jump back to above average.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-20 104320-1776703408953.png">Lows will be cold overnight! Tuesday morning starts out with temperatures in the 20s and 30s for some. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/TONIGHTS LOWS -1776713288386.png">There is even the potential for record lows to break on Tuesday morning with sub-freezing temperatures. The dots on the map are cities that could tie or break record lows.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-19 144638-1776631609657.png">Some of these temperatures include the 20s for cities like Syracuse, NY which may break a record Tuesday morning.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-20 034254-1776678187237.png">The cold snap won't last long, as by Wednesday temperatures will rebound back to above average.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/richmondsss-1776713375572.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/buffalow n-1776713421088.png">

Cold Blast Prompts Frost and Freeze Alerts

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Tracey Anthony

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Flooding turned serious over the last week across Michigan and Wisconsin. Heavy rain &amp; severe storms arrived on top of spring snowmelt. <div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2045208169664913798" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2045208169664913798"></div>A big part of this flood set up traces back to the Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where a very snowy winter left a large amount of water locked in the snowpack. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Web_1-1776694765560.png">At the same time, Milwaukee set a new April precipitation record by April 16, surpassing the old record of 7.38 inches from 2013. &nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Web_4-1776695176771.png"><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2044823132792365142" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2044823132792365142"></div>The flood threat is not over yet. The National Weather Service in Marquette said Monday that the threat for river flooding will continue across north-central and eastern Upper Michigan as temperatures warm into the 40s, and its latest flood briefing said minor to moderate flooding is expected over the next seven days, with major flooding possible along parts of the Sturgeon and Muskegon Rivers. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Web_7-1776695604663.png">For more on your central regional forecast, tune into WeatherNation :30 past the hour.

Record Snow, Record Rain, Rising Rivers

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Tornadoes, hail, wind, and rain slammed the Midwest and Great Plains on Friday as a powerful storm system moved into the region. The same storm system was producing snow in Colorado while tornado warnings were being issued hundreds of miles to the east. Unfortunately, tornadoes hit some residential areas causing damage to homes in several states and injuring at least one person in Iowa. Thankfully, no deaths have been reported thus far. We'll post summaries of the tornadoes, including their ratings, as that information comes in over the next few days. Head to the bottom of the page for radar loops from Friday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-20 103932-1776703184677.png"> <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-18 051753-1776512252193.png">Over one hundred tornado warnings were issued with 25 reports of tornadoes either being spotted or causing damage.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-18 051244-1776512264052.png">Many more severe thunderstorm warnings and flash flood warnings were issued on Friday, with many warnings confirmed by reports (below).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-18 051758-1776512271813.png">Hail topped 3 inches in diameter (bigger than baseballs) in both the Midwest and Plains on Friday, with many significant hail reports (over 2 inches).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-18 051925-1776512279734.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-18 051918-1776514705456.png">Hurricane force wind gusts also verified on Friday, with at least 5 reported over hurricane strength in the Midwest. Squall lines formed late in the day to produce large bowing segments.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-18 051932-1776512279733.png">Radar Review</h1>Radar imagery from Friday was impressive, with many discrete supercells forming before the storms became more linear late in the evening. Many warnings were issued for storms, including confirmed tornado warnings (pink instead of red).<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/2026-04-18 03-04-23-1776516944009.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/2026-04-18 03-12-44-1776516960303.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/2026-04-18 03-13-20-1776516972432.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

Looking Back at Last Week's Severe Weather Outbreak

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