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!

Alana Cameron

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UPDATE: The National Weather Service out of Norman, Oklahoma has upgraded the rating of the Marietta tornado to EF-4 with estimated peak winds of 165-170 mph, a path length of 27 miles, and a path width of 900 yards. Unfortunately, this tornado brought at least one fatality to Love County. This tornado developed southwest of Marietta and moved north-northeast over I-25 before moving into Marietta towards Lake Murray and Dickson.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1785021848498876600" src="https://twitter.com/NWSNorman/status/1785021848498876600"></div>Here's a look at the destruction our field corresponded Brandon Clement observed upon daylight on Sunday.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1784689042388668902" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1784689042388668902"></div>The town of Sulphur, OK also took a direct hit from a destructive tornado on Saturday night, with a rating of at least EF3. According to the NWS, estimated peak winds were 160-165 mph, path length was 7.5 miles, and width was 440 yards. Our Field Correspondent, Brandon Clement, took this video earlier in the day:Related articles: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/tornadoes-touch-down-in-nebraska-and-iowa-on-friday">Destructive Tornadoes Tear Through Plains Friday</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/Severe%20Weather%20Threat%20Monday%20From%20Texas%20to%20the%20Lower%20Mississippi%20Valley">Severe Weather Threat Makes it to the Gulf Coast</a><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1784590897423765833" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1784590897423765833"></div>Unlike Friday, Saturday brought in more than double the amount of hail reports compared to tornado reports. The red dots below are all reports of tornadoes, not yet confirmed, but reports.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/lsr-1714302865222.png">According to the National Weather Service, at least 25 tornadoes have been confirmed from this weekend.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/25-1714418757244.png">The hail was large and damaging, along with the strong wind gusts and the confirmed tornadoes that touched down. About teacup-sized hail fell in Fox, OK on Saturday, and we're sure that hailstones that large will easily cause damage.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-28 052810-1714303700198.png">This is a terrifying view of a tornado touching down in the rural area of Kendall, KS. You can easily see the wide base of it on the ground along with much of the dust and debris that was picked up.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/VO_042724_RNC_NEAR KENDALL, KS_SHORTER VERSION OF TORNADO JOSH INTERCEPTED AND DEBRIS FLYING AT THE END_EMAIL_JOSH HEYNEN_DW_E042724-1714303991447.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

Marietta, OK Tornado Upgraded to EF-4

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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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High pressure along the East Coast has helped to bump temperatures into the 70's and 80's on Monday afternoon. Multiple records have been broken across the region (above). Even a long-standing record from 1899 was tied in Cleveland, OH (below).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-29 161054-1714428685448.png">There will be less potential to break records on Tuesday, but a couple of records are possible. High temperatures will yet again be warm. For some, this means 10 - 15° above average.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-29 161339-1714428828312.png">More on your Eastern Regional Forecast can be found:10 past the hour on WeatherNation.

Record Highs Broken in the Northeast

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Even though we just dealt with a powerful low-pressure system and tornado outbreak this past weekend, it's the middle of storm season and the next low is already on the way. This low arrives from the Pacific Northwest, targeting the Plains for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a MARGINAL (level 1 out of 5) and SLIGHT (level 2 out of 5) risk for Tuesday. The slight risk reaches from the Twin Cities, MN area and down through Kansas City, MO. All forms of severe weather are on the table.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-29_wide tue-1714419226442.png">A few tornadoes, pockets of large hail, and strong winds all pose a threat on Tuesday. We pose the risk of significantly large hailstones over 2" in diameter, and wind gusts 75+ mph. Both of these specific risks reach into the Northern Great Plains and farther south into the Central Plains.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-29 sig-1714419285573.png">Here's a look at the timing of Tuesday's storms. As of now, isolated storms have the potential to fire off around the peak heating hours of the day with complex storms clustering together into the evening hours as the frontal system moves east.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/40-29 12z tue-1714419304146.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The severe weather risk continues on Wednesday for central Kansas and western Oklahoma. Since this particular severe weather threat is still a few days out, this highlights the level of confidence the SPC has in the forecast, as another SLIGHT risk has been issued.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-29 wide wed spc-1714419363107.png">Storms on Wednesday look to fire off of the same frontal boundary and by the afternoon hours, the western Plains may be more prone to discrete supercells that could pose significant severe weather hazards.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-29_wed-1714419438906.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>There is another heavy rain and flooding risk associated with this next low-pressure system. Widespread rain totals for most of the Heartland could add up to another 2-4". While this is needed rain, especially for the Midwest and central Plains as the drought has been increasing, too much rain will cause runoff and flooding concerns.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-29_central forecast rainfall-1714444819548.png">Check back in with WeatherNation for more updates on this next system.

Another Round of Strong Storms Targets The Heartland

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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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The severe threat has lessened this evening and there is now a GENERAL risk for thunderstorms for the overnight hours and a low threat for severe due to the loss of daytime heating. An isolated storm will be possible, but there will be limited precipitation through the overnight hour for Texas and Louisiana.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/gggg-1714440061662.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>Flood Threat</h2>In addition to the severe weather, there is an ongoing flood threat. Many places in the Central and Southern Plains have already seen over 9" of rain in the past few days. This means the ground is already highly saturated in some spots, making it more likely to flood. The Weather Prediction Center has maintained a MARGINAL to SLIGHT risk for flash flooding through Tuesday morning in these areas.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-29 wpc through tonight-1714419623445.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-29 central-1714444898379.png">

A Few Storms Lingering Along The Gulf

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WeatherNation Meteorologists

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<h2>North Side - Nebraska &amp; Iowa</h2>Several teams of meteorologists and storm damage experts are actively investigating and surveying damage from Friday across the I-80 corridor. According to the National Weather Service of Omaha, at least 5 EF-3 tornadoes have been preliminarily confirmed.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-27 091236-1714230904887.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-29 nws omaha-1714445003827.png">It all started when a tornado touched down in Lincoln, NE, just before 3 PM central time on Friday. This storm was tornado-warned for more than 50 miles as it tore through suburbs of the Omaha metro and eventually moved across the Missouri River and into Iowa.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1783955995875565622" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1783955995875565622"></div>This tornado struck Waverly, NE, a suburb on the NE side of Lincoln, where it derailed a train. It also moved through Elkhorn, NE which sits on the west side of the city of Omaha.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1784243608318595371" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1784243608318595371"></div>There was a "tornado emergency" issued for the northern suburbs of Omaha, NE, at around 3:45 PM CT Friday - this is the highest level of tornado warning the National Weather Service can issue and signals that there is a confirmed tornado on the ground and an extremely dangerous situation unfolding. A traffic camera in the Omaha area caught the tornado. Our field crews observed high-tension power lines snapped in Elkhorn, NE, outside of Omaha after the tornado moved through. Another tornado warning was issued for the city of Omaha, including downtown and damage was confirmed in the region.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1783961145100980348" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1783961145100980348"></div>Severe weather will be possible in this area once again Saturday and Sunday. This weekend could feature more significant tornadoes farther south too, which you can learn more about here in our other story: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/weekend-forecast-more-severe-weather-in-the-plains">Weekend Severe Threat</a>More active <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/weekend-forecast-more-severe-weather-in-the-plains">weather is imminent on Saturday! </a>Please stay weather-aware for the rest of the weekend and take all weather alerts seriously!

Tornadoes Tear Through the Heartland Friday

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Kevin Schneider

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Torrential rain fell overnight around the city of Groveton, TX. Businesses and homes were inundated after more than 10" of rain fell overnight. <div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1784876454930415800" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1784876454930415800"></div>Watch back the radar loop from last night - notice when the rain starts and stops. <video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Reflectivity Loop Groveton-1714394174198.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>A sensor just outside of Groveton by Caney Creek recorded 10.72" of rain overnight.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/6 hr rainfall ffe-1714394201020.png">All of that rain overwhelmed streets and drains leaving roads impassible in many locations. Just look at how high the water was on some cars our field correspondents saw late Sunday night.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/VO_042824_RSC_GROVETON, TX_DIFFERENT VIEWS OF CARS DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED WATERS_BRANDON CLEMENT_WHATSAPP_MR_E042924-1714394604232.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

Caitlin Connell

Flash Flood Emergency 30 Miles Outside of Lufkin Overnight

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As the Central and Southern Plains have been busy with severe storms and lots of rain over the weekend, eventually all of that moisture and energy has to go somewhere. The strong low-pressure system will push from the Midwest and into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by late Monday and Tuesday morning.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/forecast-1714396678311.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Most of the rainfall will be scattered throughout the day on Tuesday, with a slight chance of seeing a few storms mix into the bunch. It will be worth carrying around an umbrella on Tuesday because some of these showers can bring downpours. <video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/forecast-1714396790750.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Forecast accumulation indicates the chance of seeing up to 3" of rain in localized spots of the Northeast. This warranted a low-level tier of a flood threat from the Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast on Monday and Tuesday (see top of page).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/forecast accumulation-1714397016313.jpg">

Moisture Moves Into the Northeast

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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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Snow piled up in the Rocky Mountains this weekend, with over two feet of snow reported in parts of Colorado! Even the Denver metro area saw accumulating snow Saturday morning.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1784356854233178450" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1784356854233178450"></div> Many mountainous areas from the Cascades to the Rockies reported heavy snow from mid-week into the weekend, with the Front Range of Colorado reported the highest totals thus far.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-28 062758-1714307296262.png">Moisture lingering behind the trough and afternoon heating will lead to a few more pop-up rain and snow showers on Sunday. Winter alerts are in effect for SE Wyoming's Snowy Range, where several inches of snow and gusty winds are expected.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/forecast-1714319083449.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Additional snowfall is only expected to top a few inches on Sunday but could create travel issues on mountain passes, including on I-70 and I-80.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/snow accumulation-1714319142786.jpg">Snow this late in the season is not unusual in the Colorado Rockies. In fact, even more snow is possible toward the end of the computing workweek. Denver has recorded measurable snow into late May - with mountain snow chances lingering even longer. This is great news for the handful of ski resorts that remain open, and hope to extend their season even further.

Late-Season Snow Dumps 2 Feet Across the Rockies

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<div>Lucy is originally from the Boston area but has spent the last four years forecasting and living in Colorado! She stayed in the northeast for her education, graduating Summa Cum Laude from SUNY Oswego with a B.S. in Meteorology. Just a few days after graduation, she made the cross country move to Colorado Springs, CO to begin her career at KKTV, the CBS affiliate. Lucy has covered historic blizzards, tornadoes, windstorms, the largest wildfires in Colorado state history and dust storms ... they truly "get it all" in Colorado! Lucy is excited to forecast on a national level and continue her passion of explaining the science behind the weather!</div>
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Lucy Bergemann

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More people die from heat every year than ALL other extreme weather COMBINED. So how do you know how hot it is it really going to be?&nbsp;The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control [CDC] worked collaboratively to produce a new HeatRisk tool rolling out this summer from coast to coast. The tool had previously been used on the West Coast, but the 2024 summer will bring this experimental product to all cities across the U.S. According to Kimberly McMahon, the NWS Public Weather Services Program Manager, "HeatRisk is a great tool to just put into context, how hot it's going to be compared to what they're used to." The HeatRisk scale ranges from minor to extreme impacts and is color-coded from yellow to magenta. For reference, a MINOR impact day is your typical summer day.&nbsp;MODERATE days bring impact to vulnerable populations, especially people who are in the sun for long periods or without A/C. On these days, fans and open windows help to alleviate heat impacts inside.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/major-1713896597233.jpg">MAJOR impact days can be deadly for those without A/C and power interruptions are possible due to the heat stress. Hospitals are likely to see an increase in the number of ER visits due to heat-related illnesses. Outdoor activities should be shifted to cooler times of the day.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/mod-1713896597231.jpg">Finally, EXTREME impact days are for long-duration or potentially record-breaking heat events. There will be little to no relief from the heat overnight... and power outages are likely due to the stress on the grid. Outdoor activities should be canceled, and you should stay in cool spaces.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2023 during Phoenix's month-long stretch of 100°+ degree days, more people died in their un-air conditions homes than outdoors. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/xtreme-1713896597235.jpg">The HeatRisk tool incorporated heat forecast and historical data from NOAA to include: how above normal the temperatures are, the time of year, the duration of the heat, and overnight relief potential.&nbsp;It also considers at what temperature heat deaths occur for over 700 cities in the U.S.. That data was imperative in designing the tool to know at what level heat becomes deadly, unique to geographic location. For example, Phoenix's 110°, though hot, wouldn't be an "extreme" day during the summer. Take that same 110° but for Chicago? The risk becomes extreme. Look for the new HeatRisk product and temperature forecasts this summer on WeatherNationTV. For more information from NOAA, visit the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heatrisk/#:~:text=The%20NWS%20HeatRisk%20is%20an,both%20daytime%20and%20nighttime%20temperatures">HeatRisk Dashboard.</a>

NOAA Debuts "HeatRisk" Tool Nationwide

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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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A critical fire risk is in place for west Texas, eastern Colorado, and New Mexico through the weekend as gusty winds and dry grasses and low humidity create a dangerous situation. If a spark were to start, these are the conditions where rapid, life-threatening fire growth would be possible. Humidity values will be in the teens, meaning there will be no moisture in our atmosphere to help taper fire growth.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/1-1714253426666.png">Gusty winds are anticipated on Sunday, especially through New Mexico and West Texas. Winds could gust up to 40 mph unlike Saturday where gusts reached near 60s mph in Southern New Mexico. If a flame starts, it will move as quickly as the winds, at about 40 mph. We can't stress enough how critical this weekend's fire risk is.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Baron 2-1714253811864.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Drought conditions are extreme and exceptional for southern New Mexico, while most of the region is experiencing moderate drought. Northern New Mexico and SW Texas are experiencing pockets of severe drought (level 3 out of 5).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/drought-1714053897089.jpg">

Critical Fire Risk in West Texas, New Mexico

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It’s the soundtrack to the summer. Nature’s noisemakers are set to return in a big way this year as not one, but two sets of periodical cicadas will emerge in the Midwest and Southeast. It is the first time these two specific broods have surfaced together since 1803! This is the first time since 2015 that a 13 year cycle brood emerges at the same year as a 17 year brood.<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o5jJPrP5rfE" start="0"></iframe></div>The southern brood emerges every 13 years and is known as the Brood XIX, the largest brood in the U.S.. The Northern Illinois brood has a period of 17 years, making these two broods overlap uncommon. They will only overlap in central Illinois, where is expected to be the noisest!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Closer look at Illinois locations overlap.mp4_snapshot_00.01.232-1713196589008.jpg"><blockquote>Katie Dana, a researcher with the Illinois Natural History Survey who studies the cicadas says, “We have broods emerging across the U.S. almost every year, but we don’t often have broods emerging at the same time. Just like how birds have different songs, cicadas have different songs...we have over 3,000 different species of cicadas so we have so many different songs.”</blockquote>Periodical Cicadas are large, loud insects with bright red eyes. They live underground for years. Once the cicadas take to the skies, they will be in the air for about 3-4 weeks, mating before laying eggs and reburying themselves for another 13 or 17 years.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Slow zoom east coast brood locations.mp4_snapshot_00.06.391-1713196589005.jpg">Depending on where you live, the double brood emergence could start as soon as April but will happen whenever the ground temperatures reach 64°. According to Katie, “It’s those warm soils that push them out of the ground, but they’re also looking for some moisture. If you have really dry soil, it’s going to make it hard for them to dig out.” Given that we've had some of our warmest winters on record in the Midwest we are looking at the opportunity for earlier emergence of the broods.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Warmest Winter on Record.mp4_snapshot_00.05.538-1713196589007.jpg">If you’re less than thrilled about these beaty-eyed bugs, focus on the positives. They provide extra nutrition for birds and animals and spark a reset for oak trees allowing them to produce more acorns a few years after they emerge. If that’s not enough to get you through... the next time these two broods will be out at the same time won't be for another 221 years, which will give you plenty of time to learn to appreciate the cicada screams.

Double Trouble: Cicadas Take to the Skies this Spring

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The plains are experiencing an ongoing threat of severe weather as a weather pattern has set up. If it seems like April has been particularly busy with severe weather, that would be correct - except for two days, each day has seen some level of severe weather. More than one-third of those days have been Level 3 or higher.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/April Risk Calendar-1713961832872.png">Overnight, storms look to push through Oklahoma and Kansas north of the frontal boundary. There is still some concern that we may get strong storms overnight capable of producing marginally severe hail and an isolated tornado.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-24_rsc overnight-1714006553762.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The primary threat includes tornadoes, especially in West Texas from Lubbock down to I-20 including Midland and Abilene.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-24_rsc tx ovn tor-1714006576094.png">The severe weather threat <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/severe-weather-returns-to-the-plains-thursday-friday">continues into Thursday, Friday</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/weekend-forecast-more-severe-weather-in-the-plains">even the weekend</a> for similar areas. Please stay weather-aware!

Overnight Storms in Texas and Oklahoma

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The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical outlook for a small, but persistent area of low pressure over the Atlantic Ocean that is about 900 miles away from the Cabo Verde Islands over open waters. It is NOT expected to strengthen into anything tropical and will dissipate over the next few days. Still, with the hurricane season just 37 days away, starting on June 1st, it is a good reminder that tropical activity is knocking on our doorstep. Official outlooks from the NHC start on May 15.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1783227611633549361" src="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1783227611633549361?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet"></div>There have been very few Atlantic tropical cyclones in April - only 3 in the last 50 years. Storms are more common in the offseason months of December and May which bookend the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Most tropical systems that form in the off months are tropical storms in May or hurricanes in December. Our most recent off-season tropical cyclone was an unnamed storm in January of 2023 off the coast of New England. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/atlantic activity-1713990590600.jpg">As we head into May, tropical development is uncommon, but not impossible. Below are the historical locations of tropical systems in the month of May, most forming in the warm Caribbean and Gulf waters.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/may climo-1713990590601.jpg">The peak of hurricane season is in September, when waters are climatologically warm. As a reminder, the first seasonal forecast from Colorado State University calls for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/atlantic-hurricane-season-2024-expected-to-be-well-above-average">ABOVE AVERAGE hurricane season</a> with the potential for 23 named storms thanks to El Nino and warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/chart-1713990590597.jpg">For the latest on tropical forecasts and outlooks, join WeatherNation always streaming 24/7.

Tropical Update: Early Area of Interest in the Atlantic

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As a low-pressure system worked through Tuesday, we saw severe storms with small hail in portions of Michigan. Hail reached from penny to quarter size hail (1 inch). This system continues moving east, bringing rain chances into the I-95 corridor as it weakens. Light shower activity is possible from Maine to Virginia with isolated snow showers possible for far northern New England. Rain and snow accumulations will be extremely light, and the cold air behind this front will be more impactful.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-24 07-44-46-1713966417875.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>As mentioned above, temperatures drop and lows will be in the 20s and 30s. We will see the potential for frost and freeze conditions in Northern States. Pull those potted plants inside and cover any new vegetation growth.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Frost ADV Freeze Warning-1713961093677.png">Lows will be their coldest tonight before jumping back up into the weekend as southerly flow pushes mild, moist air north keeping overnight lows in the 50s and 60s! Some areas in Michigan could be cold enough to break records, with a few that could fall Friday morning in New York and Massachusetts.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/LOWS-1713966718665.jpg">

Rain and Spring Snow for the Northeast

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The severe threat for Southern Florida has been downgraded to a general risk of a few storms tonight. Earlier in the day, the Storm Prediction Center had issued a MARGINAL (level 1 out of 5) risk for severe storms across southeastern Florida, but the threat has lessened to just a chance of an isolated storm or two this evening. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/THROUGH TONIGHT JB -1713833403871.png">The frontal boundary that brough the severe threat for today continues to push offshore, and storms continue to move offshore as well.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/04-22_rse fl-1713811923512.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Be sure to join us on WeatherNation at 10 minutes past the hour for more details on your eastern regional forecast.

Marietta, OK Tornado Upgraded to EF-4

Marietta, OK Tornado Upgraded to EF-4

Record Highs Broken in the Northeast

Record Highs Broken in the Northeast

Another Round of Strong Storms Targets The Heartland

Another Round of Strong Storms Targets The He

A Few Storms Lingering Along The Gulf

A Few Storms Lingering Along The Gulf

Tornadoes Tear Through the Heartland Friday

Tornadoes Tear Through the Heartland Friday

Flash Flood Emergency 30 Miles Outside of Lufkin Overnight

Flash Flood Emergency 30 Miles Outside of Luf

Moisture Moves Into the Northeast

Moisture Moves Into the Northeast

Late-Season Snow Dumps 2 Feet Across the Rockies

Late-Season Snow Dumps 2 Feet Across the Rock

NOAA Debuts "HeatRisk" Tool Nationwide

NOAA Debuts "HeatRisk" Tool Nationwide

Critical Fire Risk in West Texas, New Mexico

Critical Fire Risk in West Texas, New Mexico

Double Trouble: Cicadas Take to the Skies this Spring

Double Trouble: Cicadas Take to the Skies thi

Overnight Storms in Texas and Oklahoma

Overnight Storms in Texas and Oklahoma

Tropical Update: Early Area of Interest in the Atlantic

Tropical Update: Early Area of Interest in th

Rain and Spring Snow for the Northeast

Rain and Spring Snow for the Northeast

Florida Storms This Evening

Florida Storms This Evening