Brittany Lockley

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Unseasonably warm air is taking over much of the eastern United States this holiday weekend, bringing a taste of summer well ahead of schedule. Temperatures are soaring 15 to 25 degrees above average from the Southeast through the Mid-Atlantic and into parts of the Northeast, with many cities climbing into the upper 80s. In some spots, especially across the Ohio Valley and Appalachians, highs could push close to 90 degrees, challenging or even breaking daily records.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 062624-1775305690597.jpg">This early-season heat is not just about warm afternoons, it is also setting the stage for active weather. As the atmosphere becomes more unstable, the risk for thunderstorms increases, particularly later in the day Saturday. Some of these storms could turn strong to severe, producing gusty winds and heavy downpours as the warm, humid air fuels their development.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 062651-1775305669351.jpg">But the summerlike stretch will not last long. A cold front is expected to sweep across the eastern half of the country by Easter Sunday, bringing rounds of rain and thunderstorms along the East Coast. Behind it, a much cooler air mass will move in, quickly knocking temperatures back down into the 40s and 50s this weekend before slowly creeping up next week.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 062639-1775305700895.jpg"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 062704-1775305711033.jpg">By the start of the new week, the same areas that experienced near-record warmth will feel a much different air mass. Highs across parts of the Northeast are expected to drop into the 50s, marking a sharp return to more typical early spring conditions. The rapid shift from warmth to chill is a classic example of springtime “weather whiplash,” where dramatic temperature swings can happen in just a matter of days.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 062717-1775305657001.jpg">

Patrick Crawford

Summer-Like Heat Surges Before Easter Cooldown

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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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<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2040214257594499223" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2040214257594499223"></div> Several rounds of severe storms have tracked across the Central and Eastern half of the country this week. That continued again on Friday with storms from the Midwest to the Southern Plains. Field Correspondent Brett Adair captured a tornado (above) in Illinois Friday afternoon, while large hail (below) and gusty winds hit the Southern Plains.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/pic6-1775251677983.png"><h1>Saturday</h1>The cold front will continue to progress to the east on Saturday, with an elevated threat for severe storms around Lake Erie.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 043046-1775298816090.png">Wind and hail damage will remain the primary concern, but an isolated strong tornado is possible around portions of Ohio (below). <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 042939-1775298889477.png">As the front pushes into the Atlantic on Sunday, a few more severe storms will be possible, primarily from the Chesapeake Bay south through the coast of South Carolina. Wind damage is expected to be the primary hazard.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 042942-1775298898838.png">Through Saturday morning, thunderstorms should be in a weakening phase but more scattered severe storms will be possible from the Gulf Coast up to the Northeast as afternoon heat builds, increasing instability. Heavy rain moves east overnight with a few more severe storms Sunday afternoon from the Mid-Atlantic coast south through South Carolina.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/FORECAST-1775318124896.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Heavy rain could lead to flooding, with 1-3 inches possible, while in heavier downpours totals could surpass 5-6 inches. Isolated to scattered flash flooding is possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 043751-1775299092998.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 043802-1775299100873.png">Tune into WeatherNation for the latest on these storms.

Severe Storms Push East Through Sunday

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On the northern side of the strong low creating severe weather chances, snow and ice continue across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Since Thursday, ice has accreted up to half an inch thick in parts of Wisconsin.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 051736-1775301472809.png">Thousands of residents are in the dark because of trees falling on power lines, though those numbers did improve through the day on Friday. Heavy snow began to fall and accumulate quickly on Friday, with totals by Saturday morning already surpassing a foot! <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 051622-1775301480296.png">Winter alerts are out including Ice Storm Warnings for Northern Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. Some areas could see ice totals up to a half inch. The new ice concerns are already over some of the same areas who may still be in the dark from Thursday's event. Heavy snow will continue on the back side for the Dakotas and northern Minnesota where winter storm warnings are in effect. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 050901-1775300950885.png">Freezing rain looks to persist in northern Michigan through the mid-to-late morning, possibly into the early afternoon. Heavy snow will gradually shift east behind the low, coming down heavily from the Dakotas through Northern Minnesota.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/FORECAST-1775318235906.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>An additional 4-8 inches of snow (image top of page) will be likely across the Dakotas and Minnesota. In addition, significant icing looks to be possible across Michigan. Travel will be tough this weekend so avoid travel if you can!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-04 051504-1775301371890.png">

Snow and Ice Persist on Saturday in the Upper-Midwest

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LIFTOFF - At 6:35 PM ET on April 1, 2026, NASA launched astronauts on an historic mission to the Moon. This marks the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years, dating back to the Apollo era.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2039477801787769177" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2039477801787769177"></div>NASA’s Space Launch System sent four astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, aboard the Orion spacecraft on a test flight around the Moon and back. This 10-day mission will demonstrate life support systems and help lay the foundation for future deep space exploration.<h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 091928-1774711352235.png">What's Next for Artemis II?</h2><ul><li>Day 1: focused on launch and entering Earth orbit.</li><li>Days 2-4: outbound transit toward the Moon.</li><li>Days 5-6: Orion will fly by the Moon, entering its sphere of influence, where the Moon becomes the dominant gravitational force.</li><li>Days 7-10: return trip to Earth, followed by re-entry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, where the U.S. Navy will recover the capsule.</li></ul><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-01 180532-1775088336863.png">After sling shotting around the moon, Orion will head back toward earth near the end of next week. Several burns will reposition the spacecraft before it re-enters Earth's atmosphere next Friday. It is expected to splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego. We will be monitoring the forecast in this area of the Pacific closely for any impacts. Check back for updates!<h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-02 073719-1775137047865.png"></h2><h2>What is the Future of the Artemis Program?</h2>In simple terms, Artemis is the first step in a broader effort to send humans to Mars. Before that, NASA aims to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a sustained presence while testing humanity’s ability to live and work beyond Earth’s orbit. Artemis II, specifically, will send astronauts around the Moon and back.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 091131a-1774710738504.jpg">This will be the first mission since 1972 to take humans beyond low Earth orbit, and potentially farther from Earth than any human has traveled before. NASA currently plans a series of Artemis missions, with Artemis IV expected to land astronauts on the Moon.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-01 180027-1775088036041.png">Artemis II marks a major step forward in human space exploration, pushing us farther than we’ve gone in decades, and bringing us one step closer to returning to the Moon… and eventually, reaching Mars.

Artemis II Launch Goes Perfectly, Tracking Orion Around the Moon

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Dave Holder

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After our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/severe-storms-return-to-the-midwest">latest upper-level storm system</a> clears the area, conditions should be much quieter across the country as cooler and more stable air arrives behind the sweeping cold front. However, looking ahead to next week, long-range models continue to hint at further systems dropping in across the West Coast through the latter half of the week.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-03 172547-1775259084048.png">As upper-level energy begins to move into the Southwest, winds just above the surface will respond by shifting out of the south across the Plains. This will increase moisture and heat as air moves off the Gulf, most likely leading to growing instability each afternoon. With strong upper-level energy combining with instability, severe thunderstorms are looking like a good bet by the end of the week!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-03 172558-1775259312245.png">Long-range models are also depicting widespread precipitation throughout next week, with higher elevation snow also looking likely.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-03 172623-1775259360814.png">The Climate Prediction Center's 6-10 Day Outlook also agrees with this scenario. Here, confidence is high for above-average precipitation across the Southwest, with a particular emphasis on Texas's Rio Grande country.

Further Active Weather By Late Next Week

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Kevin Schneider

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WHAT TO EXPECT A severe weather threat is taking shape across the southern Plains this week as a stalled boundary, a sharpening dryline, and an upper-level disturbance come together over a record-breaking warm and increasingly humid central airmass.<h2>OUTLOOK</h2>An ENHANCED risk has been issued through the overnight hours. Damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes will be possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/fjfjfjss-1775063569605.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/wind s-1775063505900.png"><h2>TIMING</h2>Storms continue to fire along a dryline, producing gusty winds and large hail. These storms will continue to move to the east overnight, so have multiple ways to get alerts. Things will wind down midday Thursday. <video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/FORECASSSTTTTTTT-1775091363575.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

Severe Threat Wednesday in the Plains

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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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While much of the country, and in particular the Southwest, baked underneath a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/record-heat-rolls-east-this-week">historic heatwave</a> in March, a shift in the jet stream has brought cooler and wetter weather back to the area.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2038436047768670271" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2038436047768670271"></div><h1>Alerts</h1>Winter alerts are in effect across the higher elevations of Utah and Colorado. Some areas are expecting a foot of snowfall, with isolated locations seeing higher totals. Winds will also be gusty across the higher terrain. Winter Weather Advisories were reissued across northern Utah for another round expected on Thursday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-01 164533-1775083550601.png">The Sierra Nevada Mountains also have winter alerts in place that will continue through most of Thursday morning. Travel delays and slick roadways are likely. Stay safe as this much-needed moisture arrives across the higher terrain.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-01 164841-1775083739866.png"><h1>Forecast Timing</h1>While one system is departing, another area of disturbance will move across Northern California and back into Utah and Colorado. This system will continue to bring impacts through Friday morning.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/FORSS-1775091796749.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-01 165239-1775083975535.png">Although not a "drought buster" by any means, these systems will at least help put a dent into the record-low snowpack across the West, along with some relief from the heat!

Jackie Brown

SW Pattern Change: Tracking Rain & Snow

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We have our first hurricane of the 2018 Eastern Pacific Hurricane season.

https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1004826091402420225

Tropical Storm Aletta was upgraded to a hurricane Thursday afternoon.

Aletta is currently a category 1 hurricane with winds at 75 miles per hour.

<img src="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/EP02/refresh/EP022018_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind+png/203547_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind.png" alt="cone graphic" />

The National Hurricane Center expects Aletta to continue as a hurricane through Saturday before weakening back to a tropical storm on Sunday.

&nbsp;

Aletta the First Hurricane of the 2018 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season

Summer-Like Heat Surges Before Easter Cooldown

Unseasonably warm air is taking over much of

Severe Storms Push East Through Sunday

Several rounds of severe storms have tracked

Snow and Ice Persist on Saturday in the Upper-Midwest

On the northern side of the strong low creati

Artemis II Launch Goes Perfectly, Tracking Orion Around the Moon

LIFTOFF - At 6:35 PM ET on April 1, 2026, NAS

Further Active Weather By Late Next Week

After our latest upper-level storm system cle

Severe Threat Wednesday in the Plains

WHAT TO EXPECT A severe weather threat is tak

SW Pattern Change: Tracking Rain & Snow

While much of the country, and in particular