WeatherNation Meteorologists

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<h1>MONDAY</h1><p>Severe storms erupted across the Midwest on Monday, causing damage to homes and other structures. Reports of damaging winds, large hail, and even a few tornadoes came in throughout Monday. Some of those tornadoes touched down after dark, creating truly nightmare-like scenes captured on video in Illinois.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2048955551267328360" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2048955551267328360"></div><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2048945300266537201" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2048945300266537201"></div><p>Storms started to spark up by the early evening hours on Monday. Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were firing off into the nighttime hours across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/2026-04-28 04-20-09-1777371667954.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p></p><p>We picked up some pretty large hailstones out of Missouri after this system pulled through. Some reports showed hailstones reaching the size of softballs!</p><p></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-28 042253-1777371968460.png"></p><p>The gustiest winds reported were actually out of Illinois and Indiana. Looking back at the radar from Monday night, it's no surprise, being that we got that defined bow echo.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-28 042302-1777372048925.png"></p><p>Flooding was also a major issue across places like Kansas City. With multiple heavy rounds of rainfall, we even broke several records across major cities in the Midwest. We always tell folks to never sleep on that flooding threat!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-28 042928-1777372180763.png">Why weren't there more high-end tornadoes? A lot of research will go into the exact whys, but one thing that jumped out at us was the cap. Temperatures above the area where storms were attempting to form were slightly warmer than expected. That snuffed out many storms before they could achieve strong to violent status on Monday evening.</p><h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-28 115059-1777398675567.png">TUESDAY</h1><p>On Tuesday, our front dropped into the southern plains, providing a focus for more thunderstorms. Supercells approached the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, nearing rush hour. Large hail fell with the most intense storms, and a few tornadoes were reported.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-29 114240-1777484739534.png"></p><p>Earlier in the day, storms north of the boundary produced more massive hail in southwest Missouri, smashing multiple windows!</p><p></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-29 114259-1777484807523.png"></p>

Dave Holder

A Look Back at Moderate Risks This Week

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Meteorologist Jesse Kelley is excited to join the talented staff at Weather Nation. Jesse spent most of his childhood in Birmingham, Alabama. The state of Alabama is prone to seeing various types of weather from severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and winter weather. For college, Jesse attended the University of South Alabama where he received his degree in Broadcast Meteorology along with minors in Math and Geography. From Alabama, Jesse started his broadcast television working three years at KAVU-TV in Victoria. Recently, he finished a stint in Shreveport, LA. Jesse and his wife are looking forward to making the Rocky Mountains and Colorado home. If you would like to follow me, you can follow me on Twitter @JesseKelleywx and on Facebook at Meteorologist Jesse Kelley.

Jesse Kelley

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<p>While the eastern United States is under upper-level troughing, bringing frost and freeze conditions, the Northwest will be warm this weekend. High pressure is building in for the next few days, especially for the Pacific Northwest. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-01 173209-1777678338792.png"></p><p>The warmest days in the forecast period will be this weekend. Heat Advisories have been issued for parts of the Portland metro with daytime highs in the lower 90s. Sunday record highs could fall for multiple cities in both Washington and Oregon. Have ways to stay hydrated and check on the vulnerable people who may not have ways of adequate cooling!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/1-1777664900412.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/PIC 2-1777668022076.jpg"></p><p>Temperatures are expected to cool down a little but remain above average into next week. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/1-1777665054167.png"></p>

Record Heat for the Northwest

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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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<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2049692718767710529" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2049692718767710529"></div><p></p><p>We have a rather wet pattern ahead for much of the Southwest heading into the weekend. To many folks, this will be great news! The West has been begging for a good drink for a while. Just look at the drought monitor!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/1-1777577601633.png"></p><p>Unfortunately, the drought continues to worsen across much of the West. Some rain and snow have fallen in recent days, particularly across Colorado and Utah, but additional precipitation will be in the forecast for the weekend and into next week. </p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/more4cornrain-1777677972265.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p></p><p>But just how much moisture are we going to pick up? Portions of the Sierra Nevada and the Rockies may end up with over a foot of accumulation, with heavier rain at times for lower elevations. The coastal regions of California, including the Bay Area and Los Angeles, may not see quite as much as the Interior West does. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-01 172136-1777678012221.png"></p><p></p><p>Be sure to join us at :50 past the hour on WeatherNation for your complete West Regional forecast breakdown!</p>

Further Rain and Snow Chances Out West

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<p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #454545;">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></span></p>

Rob Bradley

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<p>Several rounds of severe storms rocked the Lone Star state several times earlier this week, producing, giant, 5 inch diameter hail and tornadoes!<br><br>Thankfully, the high-end severe weather threats have dissipated, but isolated severe storms, flooding rain, and gusty winds are still expected as another storm system moves in. This system will thankfully move east over the weekend, clearing skies over Texas, but bringing stormy conditions farther east.</p><h2>Severe Storm Outlooks</h2><p>Severe storms will be possible near the surface low and along the warm front. On Friday, the low will bring a wind and hail threat to portions of Texas, while the warm front spurs wind &amp; tornado potential in the Central Gulf (2nd image down).</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/pic4-1777671257673.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/pic3-1777671348417.png">By Saturday, the surface low begins to strengthen, increasing southerly flow and strengthening dynamics to create severe storms. Scattered severe storms producing damaging winds are possible, while lower risks for hail and tornadoes will also be present.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-01 064417-1777639640803.png"></p><h2>Rainfall &amp; Forecast</h2><p>Storms are likely to be present all day, through severe weather does look slightly more likely in the afternoons and early evenings. Overnight storms along the Gulf Coast will be possible Friday night into Saturday, including a tornado threat, so please make sure you have ways to get severe weather alerts that can wake you up!</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Brian Heat Gfx-1777662712550.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p></p><p>The boundary left over from the previous front will help concentrate heavy rain just north of the Gulf, especially between I-10 to I-20. 1-3 inches of rain can be expected in these areas, with isolated pockets of 5"+.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/1-1777662749150.png"></p><p>With the potential combination of training storms and heavy rainfall rates, the flooding concern is elevated. The Weather Prediction Center has highlighted areas from Friday through Sunday with flood potential.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Brian Heat Gfx-1777662819876.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>There are many areas, especially across the southeast, that desperately need more rainfall.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-28 133607-1777404986134.png"></p>

Patrick Crawford

Heavy Rain, Severe Storms Loom For Texas & Gulf Coast

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<h1>Heading to Churchill Downs this Weekend?</h1><h3>Derby Day Weather Outlook</h3><p>Current forecasts call for partly cloudy to partly sunny skies throughout the day on Saturday, with temperatures expected to top out in the low 60s Fahrenheit. Morning temperatures are likely to be brisk, with overnight lows dipping to around 40°F, before gradual warming during the late morning and afternoon hours. While the day may feel cool compared to some recent runnings of the Derby, the conditions are well within the comfortable range for outdoor spectators and participants.</p><p>Perhaps most importantly, the chance of rain appears low, representing a significant improvement from earlier in the week, when unsettled weather threatened to dampen the weekend’s flagship event. While isolated sprinkles cannot be completely ruled out this far in advance, there is currently no strong signal for steady or disruptive rainfall on Saturday.</p><h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/WEB 1-1777553210631.png"></h1><h1>Impact on Track Conditions</h1><p>Earlier rainfall during the week may have some lingering effects on the Churchill Downs surface, particularly if showers pass through on Friday. However, with Saturday shaping up to be dry and cool, track conditions are expected to improve steadily. A dry forecast on Derby Day would allow the dirt track to firm up, reducing the likelihood of the kind of muddy, sealed surface that can dramatically influence race strategy and outcomes.</p><p>For horsemen, a drying track generally leads to more predictable footing, which can be especially important in a 20‑horse field like the Kentucky Derby, where traffic, pace, and positioning are already major variables.</p><h1><strong>Impact on the Horses</strong></h1><p><strong>From blazing sunshine to torrential rain, the conditions on Derby Day can significantly influence the race's outcome and the experience for horses, jockeys, trainers, and fans alike 🏇</strong></p><p style="text-align: start">🏇 <strong>Precipitation:</strong> Track conditions are the most immediate and noticeable way weather affects the Derby. Rain can quickly turn the usually fast dirt track into a sloppy or muddy surface, altering the performance of certain horses and jockeys. Some horses, known as “mudders,” thrive in wet conditions, while others struggle. For instance, in the rain-soaked 2019 Derby, the muddy track played a role in a dramatic finish that included the controversial disqualification of Maximum Security. Handicappers and bettors pay close attention to forecasts, knowing that a change in weather could shift the odds significantly.</p><p style="text-align: start">🏇 <strong>Temperature</strong> is another critical factor. A warm &amp; humid race day can drain a horse's stamina, especially those not acclimated to the heat and humidity. Trainers often adjust their preparation and hydration strategies depending on the expected weather. Cooler temperatures, on the other hand, may benefit certain horses with more endurance and less speed.</p><p style="text-align: start">🏇 <strong>Wind</strong> also plays a subtle but real role in racing dynamics. A strong headwind down the backstretch can tire front-running horses earlier than expected, while a tailwind might benefit late closers. Though less obvious than mud or rain, wind direction and speed can change race strategies and even alter the pace of the race.</p><p style="text-align: start">In a race where every fraction of a second matters, weather isn’t just a background variable—it’s a potential game-changer. Whether the sun is shining or rain is pouring, the conditions on Derby Day can leave a lasting imprint.</p>

Further Rain and Snow Chances Out West

Heavy Rain, Severe Storms Loom For Texas & Gulf Coast

Rain or Shine? Your 152nd Kentucky Derby Forecast

A Look Back at Moderate Risks This Week

Record Heat for the Northwest

Further Rain and Snow Chances Out West

Heavy Rain, Severe Storms Loom For Texas & Gulf Coast

Rain or Shine? Your 152nd Kentucky Derby Forecast

A Look Back at Moderate Risks This Week

Record Heat for the Northwest

Further Rain and Snow Chances Out West

Heavy Rain, Severe Storms Loom For Texas & Gulf Coast

Rain or Shine? Your 152nd Kentucky Derby Forecast