Kevin Schneider

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It is that time of year again—when millions of Americans hit the road or the skies to connect with friends and family. AAA is expecting a record number of travelers this year, surpassing the record-breaking 2024. Most travelers will be hitting the road vs flying.<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o78PUXSJCJU" start="0"></iframe></div><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot 2025-11-17 104347-1763401813998.png">With millions hitting the roads, traffic will be hard to avoid, no matter where you are heading. However, there will be some better times to do your traveling. AAA suggests starting the journey early, but with a reasonable night of sleep the night prior.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot 2025-11-17 105052-1763401888415.png">With so many traveling over the holidays, there are some favored destinations. Other than New York City, the other 9 top destinations favor warm weather in late November.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot 2025-11-17 110215-1763402544204.png">How does this compare to previous years? With more than 6 million people expected to fly, that's a 2% increase compared to last year, but it's a more than 10% jump compared to pre-pandemic levels!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot 2025-11-17 105653-1763402231681.png">

Rob Bradley

A Record Breaking Thanksgiving Travel Week Expected

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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>

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Hurricane Melissa was a devastating category 5 storm that made landfall in Jamaica as one of the strongest systems on record in the Atlantic Basin.A dropsonde recorded a wind gust of 252 mph shortly before landfall, which was verified this week by NSF NCAR (U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research) to be accurate, making it the strongest gust ever recorded in a tropical cyclone.WeatherNation Meteorologist Rob Bradley discusses the data and Melissa's intense winds with hurricane researcher Andy Hazelton, who was working the data position on the reconnaissance flight that recorded the record gust.<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n8DyYwpvi0w" start="0"></iframe></div>What are meso-vortices? These are smaller scale circulations in the atmosphere that are essentially miniature low pressure systems. These can be observed within clusters of thunderstorms, but they also appear within the eye and eye wall of intense hurricanes. Melissa produced some of the most visually stunning meso-vortices in the satellite era (below).<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1983738129581301844" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/1983738129581301844"></div>

Hurricane Melissa Produces Strongest Gust Recorded in a Hurricane

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Brittany Lockley

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A cut-off low will be moving out of southern California, bringing a surge of deep moisture to the Four Corners this weekend through next week. This low will bring rounds of showers and thunderstorms.&nbsp;Communities across northwest New Mexico, southeast Utah, southwest Colorado, and northeast Arizona could an abudant amount of rain, with some areas picking up over an inch of rain by the end of the weekend.&nbsp;<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/VO_111925_RSW_AVONDALE, AZ_COMPILATION OF HAIL AND FLOODING IN SUBURBIA PHOENIX_@LukeMishler_TW_RS_E111925-1763606179480.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>In the mountains, snow has been piling up to 9" of snow was reported across multiple states from Thursday into Friday. Higher elevations are cold enough for accumulating mountain snow once again, which may create tricky travel conditions over passes and high-country roadways throughout out a busy week for travel.&nbsp;<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot 2025-11-21 084059-1763739684823.png">Next Wave</h1>As another system brings moisture back to the region to end the week, additional flooding (as well as thunderstorms and snow) will be expected. Heavy snow is set to return to the mountains as well, with difficult travel expected, especially on I-70 in Colorado.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot 2025-11-21 165128-1763769094105.png"><h2>Forecast</h2>Rain and snow chances will persist throughout the weekend, as the system moves to the Northeast. We'll mostly clear out by the beginning of next week.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/New Baron Video 3-1763781078358.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Rain totals through Sunday could top an inch or two in some areas of Arizona. Expect heavy snow in the mountains, upwards of 6"+ in many locations. Ski resorts in Colorado could see more than a foot!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/1-1763781111607.png">Denver is preparing for a noticeably colder and more unsettled stretch of weather. Light snow may develop, but the bigger story arrives late Saturday into Sunday as a stronger push of colder air drops into the Front Range, as this second wave of energy could bring a more organized period of snowfall to the Denver metro area. While totals will depend on how quickly temperatures fall and how long the moisture stays in place, current trends suggest Denver could end the weekend with anything from a coating to a few inches of snow, with higher amounts favored west of the city in the foothills.&nbsp;

Four Corners Expecting More Flooding Rain, Mountain Snow

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A strong storm system that brought severe storms and flooding rain to Texas and Oklahoma is on the move. The trough is moving east with more impactful weather before it heads into the Atlantic Saturday afternoon.Severe storms are possible along the cold front tonight through Saturday morning from Kentucky into Mississippi. Wind damage is expected to be the primary hazard, so be sure to secure any loose objects outdoors.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/1-1763781379997.png">Scattered heavy downpours are expected to persist north of the low across the Midwest and Ohio Valley tonight. Severe storms could form into the overnight hours. Our high-resolution forecast model shows supercell thunderstorms developing late in the evening in West Tennessee, before tracking east overnight into the Deep South.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/New Baron Video 3-1763781681080.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Rainfall totals don't look too impressive thanks to the progressive movement of this system. 1-2 inches is expected for most areas that see thunderstorms.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/1-1763781727696.png">

Jesse Kelley

Trough Shifts East, Severe Storms & Flooding Possible

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CALIFORNIA - The middle of November has been active on the west coast, with multiple storm systems tracking into California over the last ten days. Another low is taking aim at the Golden State to start the weekend, with flash flood potential elevated around Los Angeles Thursday, before the heaviest rain moves into the mountains and deserts. Heavy snow is expected as well, prompting winter weather alerts into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and in Southern California.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/New Baron Video 3-1763694575745.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Heavy rain will move down the coast from Central California into Southern California throughout the night into early Friday. As the low stalls just offshore, additional rounds of rain and snow linger in Southern California through midday Saturday before the low finally moves east, leading to clearing skies.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot 2025-11-20 071516-1763650396917.png">Southern California could see several inches of heavy rainfall, which may lead to a flooding risk, especially because we have had a lot of recent rainfall. The higher elevations can expect up to five to ten with localized amounts of 16 inches of snowfall.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/1-1763694483048.png">The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued two slight (level 2 out of 4) threats for Southern California to see heavy rainfall and flooding Thursday through Friday.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/New Baron Video 3-1763681671126.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The National Weather Service has also added winter storm warnings for the Riverside County Mountains and San Bernardino County mountains for Thursday through Saturday, with the heaviest snowfall expected Thursday night into Friday morning. Totals of 5-10" will be possible over 6000 feet, with up to 16 inches at the mountain peaks.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot 2025-11-20 075344-1763650440978.png">You can also watch the regional forecast on demand with the WeatherNation app!

Four Corners Expecting More Flooding Rain, Mountain Snow

Trough Shifts East, Severe Storms & Flooding Possible

Flood Risk Elevated in Southern California

A Record Breaking Thanksgiving Travel Week Expected

Hurricane Melissa Produces Strongest Gust Recorded in a Hurricane

Four Corners Expecting More Flooding Rain, Mountain Snow

Trough Shifts East, Severe Storms & Flooding Possible

Flood Risk Elevated in Southern California

A Record Breaking Thanksgiving Travel Week Expected

Hurricane Melissa Produces Strongest Gust Recorded in a Hurricane

Four Corners Expecting More Flooding Rain, Mountain Snow

Trough Shifts East, Severe Storms & Flooding Possible

Flood Risk Elevated in Southern California