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

RobBradleyjpeg-1679518597323.jpeg

While the west continues to bake under a record shattering ridge of high pressure, storm systems continue to ride around the ridge, bringing cooler temperatures and unsettled weather farther east. A strong cold front will quickly drop temperatures across the Midwest Thursday as it drops to the south and east, but it also looks to trigger numerous strong and severe storms on Thursday. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued an enhanced risk from Illinois through Ohio, with a lower level threat extending from Kansas through Pennsylvania.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 182414-1774484667461.png">There are a couple significant threats with these storms to watch out for. One of those is the significant tornado threat. Meaning, if there is a tornado, there is the potential for it to be a stronger tornado. Right now, the outlook has the threat of an EF2 or stronger possible in the hatched area.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-26 054156-1774525362129.png">Another significant threat is for hail. Cities like Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis have the threat of 2"+ hailstones. Severe hail potential begins at 1". Significant wind gusts (74+ mph) are also possible for areas in the blue shaded region.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-26 054205-1774525372328.png">Showers will start the day on Thursday but there should be enough of a break between rounds of storms for the afternoon convection to have plenty of energy. Severe storm potential kicks off in the early afternoon and could persist through midnight before storms move out of the favorable environment. <video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/2026-03-26 05-43-49-1774525476564.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Rainfall rates are likely to be heavy enough to cause isolated flash flooding. Nuisance flooding, like ponding on roads, is expected.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-26 054316-1774525498169.png">

Severe Storms Target the Midwest, Ohio Valley on Thursday

Screenshot20260326054014png-1774525334544.png

Adrian Hernandez

Adriannewnewjpeg-1774471713694.jpeg

It's been unbearably warm across the west for a good minute now. This is mainly due to a ridge of high pressure, which causes the air to sink and heat up. Pair this with a frontal boundary, and now you have gusty, dry, and warm winds east of the Rockies, ripe conditions for fire danger. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 185145-1774486345196.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 081803-1774448301637.png">Widespread Red Flag Warnings have been issued for much of the central portion of the country, from Montana south into New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle! The majority of the alerts will continue through Thursday afternoon.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 185212-1774486353192.png">Further updates on the more recent 24 Fire have shown increasing containment. However, another more recent fire broke out south of Albuquerque, the Unified Fire.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 130832-1774465756662.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 081235-1774447996816.png">Keep it locked in on WeatherNation, as we continue to update you on these fires and their impacts!

Alana Cameron

Fire Danger Plagues an Already Blistering West

Screenshot20260325185204png-1774486359742.png

Alana Cameron was born and raised in Canada in the city of Mississauga, just outside of Toronto. Alana is the oldest of 4 siblings, all close in age, and grew up playing outside with them in all types of weather. After graduating high school, Alana moved to study at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna for a year before transferring to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Atmospheric Science. Upon completion, Alana moved back to Toronto where she completed a post-grad degree in Meteorology at York University. After her post-grad, she went on to complete another post-grad in Broadcast Journalism - TV News at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. During her final year of studies she had the privilege of interning with the best in the business in Canada at The Weather Network. Once she finished her internship, she got the call from small-town Denison, Texas where she accepted a job as an on-air meteorologist at KTEN-TV, right in tornado alley, covering severe weather from Sherman/Denison (North Texas) to Ada (Southern Oklahoma). After the most active tornado season Oklahoma had seen in May 2019 (105 tornadoes!) Alana is excited to join WeatherNation to cover weather all across the nation. If you're interested in following her on social media she can be found @alanacameronwx!

AlanaCameronjpeg-1679518648021.jpeg

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.This heatwave will continue to impact the southwestern U.S., but through Thursday, the potential for record-breaking temperatures will expand into more of the central U.S. Dozens of records fell Wednesday afternoon, including in Denver, which broke another all-time March record by reaching the upper 80s.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 183018-1774485047787.png">Afternoon highs in several locations are continuing into the 100s, shattering daily temperature records and creating a dramatic contrast to the colder conditions that typically dominate early March. In some areas, temperatures are running 20 to 40 degrees above seasonal averages.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 183147-1774485116577.png"><h2>Central U.S.</h2>Thursday looks to be another hot day across the country, with nearly 70 sites that could break records. In cities like Kansas City, temperatures are expected to run around 30 degrees above average.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 182725-1774485265417.png">Late Thursday, a cold front will swing through, bringing some areas a significant temperature drop on Friday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-25 182729-1774485311300.png">The Climate Prediction Center has high confidence that temperatures will remain above normal through the end of March.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-24 174847-1774396132757.png">

More Records Obliterated - Heat Soars into Central U.S.

Screenshot20260325182655png-1774485049583.png

Top Image Credit: National Parks Service<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8V6xqwukzO0" start="0"></iframe></div>Spring is fast approaching, and so are the blooms of flowers all across North America. This includes the famous cherry tree bloom around the National Mall in Washington, D.C.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-06 080027-1772810872599.png">On Thursday, March 5th, the National Park Service announced its projected peak cherry blossom date for 2026. The peak is expected around late March into early April (between the 31st and 2nd). Still, the forecast for the peak is generally difficult to make beyond ten days, as blossoms will be impacted by weather conditions. Check back in for updates!<h2>What is "peak bloom"?</h2>The peak bloom date is defined as the day when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open, one of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/types-of-trees.htm">many types of cherry trees</a> in the area. Peak bloom usually lasts for several days, with the blooms taking <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/bloom-watch.htm">about two to three weeks to reach peak</a> after the appearance of green buds. As buds begin to appear, the forecast peak date will be updated by National Park Service horticulturists.<h2>Past Blooms</h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-06 080035-1772811048593.png"> Due to variable weather conditions, peak bloom has occurred as early as March 15th (1990) and as late as April 18th (1958).Visiting the blossoming cherry trees has become a favorite springtime tradition for Americans and tourists alike, dating back to 1912 when Japan gifted the U.S. about 3,000 cherry trees. The cherry trees in Japan have been putting on a show for thousands of years, with the dates of blooms being <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/date-of-the-peak-cherry-tree-blossom-in-kyoto">recorded all the way back to the 9th century</a>. The dates for this year's peak blooms in Japan are expected from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.japan-guide.com/sakura/">late March through late April</a> from north to south across the nation.

Cherry Blossoms Expected to Peak in a Week

CherryBlossomNPSjpg-1772809509902.jpeg

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

JackieBrownjpeg-1679518619427.jpeg

Heavy rainfall from moisture that inundated the Hawaiian Islands late last week is on the move. It's being funneled around an area of high pressure, taking aim at the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, it won't be nearly as heavy or intense as what Hawaii faced.Related: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/flash-flood-emergency-for-oahu-additional-rain-expected-for-hawaii">Kona Low Recap</a>This round looks like it will be a little different than the previous round, which brought only rain to the area. Snow levels with this system will drop a bit, bringing a shot at some wintry impacts to the mountain passes.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-24 033707-1774345071882.png">An active Jetstream will bring more energy into the region on Tuesday. That's when you can expect the most widespread rain, with only scattered coverage from Wednesday onward.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/2026-03-24 03-38-07-1774345113637.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>There will be winds with this latest batch, with some of the mountain peaks expecting the worst of them. Sporadic power outages will be possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-24 033943-1774345194700.png">Make sure you're staying tuned to WeatherNation for your northwest forecast at :50 past the hour!

More Records Obliterated - Heat Soars into Central U.S.

Cherry Blossoms Expected to Peak in a Week

Pineapple Express Delivers Another Round of Rain

Severe Storms Target the Midwest, Ohio Valley on Thursday

Fire Danger Plagues an Already Blistering West

More Records Obliterated - Heat Soars into Central U.S.

Cherry Blossoms Expected to Peak in a Week

Pineapple Express Delivers Another Round of Rain

Severe Storms Target the Midwest, Ohio Valley on Thursday

Fire Danger Plagues an Already Blistering West

More Records Obliterated - Heat Soars into Central U.S.

Cherry Blossoms Expected to Peak in a Week

Pineapple Express Delivers Another Round of Rain