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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WEST - Heatwave would be putting this stretch of extreme weather mildly. The most intense heat event the U.S. has seen since record keeping began is unfolding and STILL getting worse. Not only were daily records broken on Wednesday, but monthly record highs for March were broken as well, despite it being the middle of the month! Las Vegas set its March record high with a high of 95°, beating out the previous record of 95° from yesterday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773973132611.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/2-1773973138347.png">The heat is expected to intensify through Friday and Saturday, before temperatures drop slightly. Even though temperatures will drop somewhat, record heat will persist through at least the middle of next week, if not longer.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773973182216.png">Afternoon highs in several locations are expected to climb into the 80s, 90s, and even 100s, shattering daily temperature records and creating a dramatic contrast from the colder conditions that typically dominate early March. In some areas, temperatures are running 20 to 40 degrees above seasonal averages.Heat alerts are in effect through the weekend across portions of California, Nevada, and Arizona.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-17 124426-1773773073161.png">The Climate Prediction Center has a high confidence that temperatures will stay above normal through the end of March.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-18 112057-1773854463320.png">More on your Western Regional Forecast can be found:50 past the hour on WeatherNation.

Patrick Crawford

Records Obliterated - Extreme March Heatwave Bakes the West

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<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2033702354504323511" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2033702354504323511"></div>It wouldn't be March without a good ol' fashioned blizzard. The Upper-Midwest experienced intense blizzard conditions last weekend, and while the blizzard has cleared, additional rain and snow makers are on the way. While additional snow, ice, and storms are in the forecast, these systems are not expected to be as impactful.<h1>Timing</h1>Clipper systems with limited precipitation and impacts are expected to phase through the Great Lakes and Northeast through Friday. Stronger systems begin taking shape this weekend, with heavier precipitation and gusty winds. Friday into Saturday can expect heavier rain and snow in New York and New England, while the Upper-Midwest gets a new round of moderate snowfall from the trailing system. By Sunday, that next system is expected to move from the Great Lakes into the Northeast, bringing ice, snow, rain, and wind!<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/clippersforever-1773972827922.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h1>Rain and Snow Totals</h1>I-95 and the Central Appalachians are likely to stay on the rainy side of these systems, but higher elevations in the Northeast, along with areas that see lake-enhanced precipitation, will see some snowfall. Mountain areas could see some 6"+ totals. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-19 201431-1773972882164.png">Make sure to check in with us here on WeatherNation! We'll be covering these clipper systems all week, so follow along to stay updated on the latest!

Tracey Anthony

Dave Holder

Clippers Keep the Great Lakes and Northeast Gusty, Cooler

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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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NEBRASKA - On Thursday, March 12th, a vegetation fire broke out with visible heat signatures detectable on satellite. As winds shifted and the fire headed south quickly, mandatory evacuations were prompted near the town of Oshkosh, NE. Since then, the fire has continued to grow, becoming the largest in state history for the state of Nebraska, named the Morrill Fire.<ul><li>Acres: 643,074</li><li>Containment: 98%</li><li>Status: Active</li><li>Counties involved: Keith, Arthur, Garden, and Morrill</li></ul>Additional fires broke out across the state on this critical fire risk day, including the Cottonwood Fire, which has now burned about 130,000 acres with 80% containment. This fire broke southeast of North Platte in Dawson, Lincoln, and Frontier counties. Evacuations were ordered last week but lifted on Saturday, March 14th.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2033022876803281258" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2033022876803281258"></div>The governor of Nebraska Jim Pillen issued an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/press/WildFiresCentralNebraska.pdf">emergency proclamation</a> to unlock state resources and support the response to multiple wildfires in central and Western Nebraska. The fires include:<ul><li>The Road 203 Fire (within the Nebraska National Forest) - 35,916 acres | 76% contained</li><li>Cottonwood Fire (near Brady and Gothenburg) - 131,259 acres | 78% contained</li><li>Morrill County Fire - 643,074 acres | 67% contained</li></ul><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/PIC 2-1773936782932.jpg"><h2>Fire Outlooks and Forecast</h2>Fire weather outlooks show elevated and critical conditions in the Central Rockies into the Western Great Plains. Warm, dry, and gusty conditions are expected to persist in these areas for the next several days, making for difficult firefighting conditions.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/PIC 3-1773936756106.jpg"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/PIC 4-1773936761845.jpg"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773946906307.png">Please stay aware of smoke plumes in your area and do not undertake activities where a spark or flame could start a new fire.

Jesse Kelley

Morrill Fire - Largest in Nebraska State History

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High pressure is calling the shots, once again, out west. That's going to bring searing heat to parts of California and Arizona, but it's helping do something else: soak Seattle and melt snow.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2034261211601068374" src="https://x.com/NWSSeattle/status/2034261211601068374"></div>A stubborn area of high pressure is going to sit on top of the West Coast for the remainder of the week. That will help pump more tropical moisture up and over it, focusing it along the Pacific Northwest (above). That will bring rounds of rain, sometimes heavy, to areas surrounding Seattle. Rounds of rain will add up to multiple inches of rainfall, even into the Cascades. Flood watches cover the area until Friday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773971897567.png">The threat of rain will be persistent, soaking many plans for the rest of the week. Notice that most of this is coming down in the liquid form, with very high snow levels. That could help melt additional snow, leading to runoff issues in some of the area creeks and streams.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/New Baron Video 3-1773972064238.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Flood alerts remain in place this week across portions of the Northwest.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/WEB 1-1773923723817.png">For more on your western regional forecast, tune into WeatherNation :50 past the hour.

Atmospheric River Aims at 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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Our intense storm system continues to wreak havoc with severe weather in the warm sector and blizzard conditions in the cold sector, which you can read more about here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/old-man-winter-roars-in-this-week">MIDWEST SNOW STORM.</a><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2033523139255435518" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2033523139255435518"></div>Widespread wind damage reports spread from Texas north to Illinois and east into the Carolinas. With multiple severe/tornado watches and warnings in effect, stay up to date LIVE with WeatherNation as the threat heads to the East Coast.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-16 072500-1773667595860.png">Some of these areas are still picking up the pieces from the last storm system that brought severe weather to Illinois and Indiana on Tuesday. Read more about those storms by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/destructive-tornadoes-hail-rip-through-central-us">clicking here</a>.The strongest winds were recorded out of Minturn, AR and Radcliff, KY with speeds of 77 mph.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-16 160200-1773698531372.png">There were also large hailstones across the south. The largest recorded was 2.50".<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-16 160301-1773698586918.png"><h1>Through Tonight</h1>The risk for intense severe weather continues to the East Coast and increases with an enhanced risk for severe storms (Level 3 out of 5). Once again, multiple squall lines packing intense winds and a few intense tornadoes will be possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/sssvvv-1773708020216.png"><h1>Latest Timing</h1>The front will continue to move offshore through the overnight hours. Expect drier and colder conditions on Tuesday morning.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/jfkaaa-1773706446631.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>This forecast and the outlooks will be updated as warranted, so be sure to check back in!

Jackie Brown

East Coast Under Risk of Damaging Winds & Tornadoes

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As <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/Severe-Storms-Return-Sunday-Monday">severe storms are marching from the central U.S. to east Coast</a>, intense wind and extremely heavy snowfall are charging through the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. On Sunday, blizzard conditions halted traffic in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2033160449479557502" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2033160449479557502?s=20"></div>Blizzard Warnings are still in effect for portions of Michigan. As a reminder, a blizzard is primarily about wind! Strong winds will create low visibility as snow blows around. Very difficult travel, if not impossible travel, can be expected in these areas over the next few days.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/through tue am-1773699841853.png">Snowfall totals across the Great Lakes have reached up to three feet!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/great lakes snow-1773700082803.png"><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2033530667309597069" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2033530667309597069"></div><h1>TONIGHT </h1>Even as new snow winds down, blowing and drifting snow will remain an issue. So watch out for slick spots on the roads and pockets of limited visibility into Tuesday.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/blsaa-1773706575366.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Parts of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan still have the potential for significant totals. Lake effect snow will stick around into Tuesday, adding an additional 6-12".<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/tue additional snowwwww-1773700237673.png">Arctic air will be dragged south behind this storm system with wind chills well below zero for many areas by into Tuesday! Bundle up and make sure your skin is covered to prevent frostbite. Be sure to check back for updates as we fine-tune this forecast!

Blizzard Conditions, Heavy Snow Slamming the Midwest & Northeast

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Patrick Crawford has always been a huge weather buff! He grew up in Plano, Texas, and it was there that he experienced what Mother Nature was capable of doing. He would always turn on the television to see what local meteorologists were saying about the weather. That's when he realized he wanted to be a meteorologist.

Patrick graduated from Northern Illinois University (’04) with a degree in Meteorology and a double minor in Mathematics and Geography. Broadcast Meteorology has been great to him and he has been able to work in television markets all across the country. Some of his stops have included New Orleans, Green Bay and even Yuma, Arizona. He is so excited to be part of the WeatherNation team.

He has been awarded the prestigious CBM (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) weather seal from the American Meteorological Society.

Feel free to catch up with Patrick Crawford on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MeteorologistPC/">Facebook</a> and on <a href="https://twitter.com/MeteorologistPC">Twitter</a> pages.

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Numerous fires have broken out over the last few days, including massive fires in the state of Nebraska. The fire danger will build south as colder air begins to move in behind a sharp cold front. Red Flag Warnings have been issued across New Mexico, the Southern Plains, and down to the Gulf through Monday.The largest fire that broke out in Nebraska has been named the Morrill - Cottonwood Fire, burning over 694k acres, making it the largest wildfire in state history. It began on Thursday afternoon due to an electrical fire caused by high winds. Unfortunately, 1 person lost their life trying to flee.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-16 112746-1773682091383.png"><h1>Fire Weather Alerts</h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/web-1773656741187.png"><h1>Fire Outlook</h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/web1-1773656767163.png">It is always important to know how to prevent fires, so here are some tips.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/pic4-1773244322444.png">

Nebraska Records Biggest Fire Ever as Red Flag Warnings Persist

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Areas of the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley have the potential to see severe thunderstorms today as a slight risk has been posted by the Storm Prediction Center. Large hail greater than the size of a quarter and wind gusts higher than 60 mph are the biggest threats. Marginal severe weather risks have been posted in Kansas and the Northwest.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91181" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/hw.png" alt="" width="1688" height="919" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91182" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/tor-2.png" alt="" width="1662" height="923" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91180" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/e2.png" alt="" width="1653" height="952" />

A low pressure center and cold front will be the focus for severe thunderstorm development into tonight. Storms will develop in Michigan and Illinois this afternoon, and then push into Indiana and Ohio. Intensity will likely weaken overnight.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91184" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/3p.png" alt="" width="1685" height="924" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91185" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/9p-1.png" alt="" width="1655" height="918" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91183" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/3A.png" alt="" width="1681" height="846" />

For Thursday and Friday, a slightly stronger low pressure center will move into the Plains. Humidity levels will be increasing and energy will be in place.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91186" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/capr.png" alt="" width="1635" height="927" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91188" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/Moistyre.png" alt="" width="1662" height="933" />

There is a slight risk for severe thunderstorms for the central Plains Thursday and Friday. Areas of Nebraska may see severe thunderstorms Thursday, sliding into Kansas and Iowa Friday.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91189" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/r.png" alt="" width="1664" height="951" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91187" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/05/f.png" alt="" width="1648" height="949" />

For WeatherNation: Meteorologist Mace Michaels

A Look at the Severe Weather Threat for the Rest of the Week

Records Obliterated - Extreme March Heatwave Bakes the West

WEST - Heatwave would be putting this stretch

Clippers Keep the Great Lakes and Northeast Gusty, Cooler

It wouldn't be March without a good ol' fashi

Morrill Fire - Largest in Nebraska State History

NEBRASKA - On Thursday, March 12th, a vegetat

Atmospheric River Aims at the Northwest

High pressure is calling the shots, once agai

East Coast Under Risk of Damaging Winds & Tornadoes

Our intense storm system continues to wreak h

Blizzard Conditions, Heavy Snow Slamming the Midwest & Northeast

As severe storms are marching from the centra

Nebraska Records Biggest Fire Ever as Red Flag Warnings Persist

Numerous fires have broken out over the last