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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<p>There has been a quieter streak across the Pacific Northwest but more active weather is expected to return later this week. From the Cascades to the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, heavy snowfall will be possible beginning on Friday. Closer to the coast, heavy rainfall will be possible in Southern Oregon through Northern California on Sunday.</p><h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/snow and rain-1675193746999.JPG">Thursday - Friday</h2><p>By Thursday evening, the system will be moving in from the Pacific bringing with it heavy rain along the Oregon coastline and high-elevation snowfall. This is just the appetizer for what is to come later in the period, on Friday night. Still, we could see accumulating snow and locally difficult travel over high mountain passes Thursday evening and Friday morning. There will be a lull in the activity through midday before more moisture pushes onshore. The Weather Prediction Center has highlighted the risk of heavy snowfall in the Cascades on Friday as this first front pushes through.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/pnw snowfall-1675200665396.JPG"></p><h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/thursday and friday-1675193727192.gif">Weekend</h2><p>Our more potent wave of energy arrives Friday night and looks to continue into Sunday. As indicated by the Weather Prediction Center outlooks above, snow will first impact the Cascades on Friday before dropping into the Sierra Nevada Saturday and Sunday. Heavy rainfall will be seen for mountain valleys and along the coastline.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/cali weekend-1675200651869.JPG"></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/friday and saturday-1675193714612.gif">Expect temperatures for Seattle, WA to remain in the upper 40s and low 50s while inland communities drop to the 30s and 40s this weekend. It won't be nearly as chilly compared to our past weekend!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/PNW TEMPS-1675177222944.JPG">More details can be found :50 past the hour on WeatherNation!</p>

Active Weather Returns to the Northwest

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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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<p>We have seen brutal cold through the central U.S. the last few days and as we look ahead to the weekend forecast, the polar jet will start to migrate to the east, bringing widespread sub-zero temperatures to New England by Saturday morning. We have widespread lows anticipated in the single digits on either side of zero. Think ahead to your weekend plans, perhaps delaying that early Saturday run and making sure you have appropriate plans for your pets, plants, and pipes. Everywhere you see a light pink dot is an opportunity to tie or break a record-low temperature on Saturday morning.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/01-31_rne_record cold-1675199092611.png">Cold air sinks south from Canada late Friday night through Saturday, impacting the Northeast as the bitter cold rounds out the work week and starts the weekend. The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has highlighted much of the Great Lakes region and the Northeast with below-average temperatures both Friday and Saturday!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/northeast setup-1675180144408.JPG"><br>The Weather Prediction Center has issued an extended hazards outlook for well below-average temperatures as we end this week and kick off the weekend. <br><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/01-31_extended hazards-1675199118492.png">In fact, wind chill alerts have already been issued for portions of New York and Vermont for Friday and Saturday's bitter cold.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/01-31_wind chills-1675199181009.png">Morning lows will plummet down into the negatives, which means less than 30 minutes outside, exposed skin is prone to frostbite.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/01-31_rne_fcst lows-1675199255327.png">Check out the daytime highs - we will be in the teens and 20s through much of the region with highs in the single digits through northern New England!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/3 day highs ne-1675180226049.JPG">More on the cold weather forecast in your Eastern Regional Forecast at :10 past the hour.</p>

Sub-Zero Temperatures Take Aim at the Northeast This Weekend

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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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<p>We have seen significant icing this week with ice causing problems from Texas to Tennessee from roadways to power outages. Another batch of icy precipitation will bring the potential for additional impacts, so please plan accordingly and try not to be on the roads when the worst weather is expected. It's all about that temperature profile: in this case, surface temperatures are well below freezing, but with a warm nose of air in the 850 MB layer of the atmosphere (about 5000 feet above the ground), temperatures are above freezing, hence leading to freezing rain or sleet.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1620421649634889728" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1620421649634889728"></div><h2>Ice Threat</h2><p>Mild and muggy air from the Gulf of Mexico is riding up and over cold, dense air along a boundary from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic. Although the precipitation initially falls from the clouds as snowflakes, this warm layer of air causes the flakes to melt. Those raindrops will then fall into a shallow layer of freezing air before reaching the ground. Where this layer is thick enough for the drops to partially or fully re-freeze, sleet (small ice pellets) accumulates. However, where the layer is too thin for the liquid to solidify, those drops freeze on contact with surfaces, this is called <strong>freezing rain</strong>.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/precip-types-new.png" alt="">0.25" - 0.50" of ice is enough to create power outages and downed tree limbs. Slick roadways and bridges will make travel difficult and dangerous.</p><h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/01-31_wide fcst ice-1675213360078.png">Alerts</h2><p>Winter Weather Alerts stretch from Texas through the Mid-Mississippi Valley, and into the Appalachians through Thursday as a result of the icing event. The dark purple ICE STORM WARNINGS carry through Wednesday and Thursday morning for the heaviest, most repeated rounds of icing.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/wide alerts-1675215642025.png"></p><h2>Timing</h2><p>On Wednesday morning, take a look at the widespread icing in the forecast in north Texas. As temperatures warm slightly through the day at the lower levels of the atmosphere we will see a changeover back to rain rather than freezing rain through the Red River Valley. Even though alerts finish up through Wednesday afternoon, models indicate the potential for icing once again Wednesday night into Thursday. Prepare for a long-duration event all of this week!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/WED THU ICE-1675213603727.gif"></p><p>You can always catch your Central Regional Forecast at :30 past the hour on WeatherNation!</p>

Significant Icing for the Plains to the Ohio Valley

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<p>GULF STATES - Another round of rainfall will be moving back into our Gulf Coast states Wednesday through Friday this week. For some areas of Texas, we are watching for a re-freeze of this late-week rain on Thursday morning as temperatures fall, but for most of us in the Gulf, a cold rain should be expected. Temperatures should be cool enough that the severe weather potential becomes limited late week. A flood watch has been issued for the I-20 corridor of northern Louisiana as saturated grounds will lead to the increased concern of flash flooding Tuesday morning through Thursday! </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/rainfall wide-1675186046708.JPG"></p><h1>Wednesday</h1><p>The excessive rainfall outlook on Wednesday is a level 2 out of 4 threat through east Texas and western Louisiana. We are concerned given this weekend's rainfall about additional flood threats here.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/wpc wed-1675186098624.JPG">Gulf moisture pumps into the state of Texas on Wednesday, bringing in heavy rainfall on top of any icing. We may see pockets of icing through central Texas Wednesday morning as surface temperatures are just cold enough to cause freezing of the rain at ground level. This is highly dependent on where the heaviest storms set up and track, so keep in mind local road and stream conditions could change as you travel. While we see showers throughout the day on Wednesday through central Texas and the western Gulf, the bulk of the heavy rainfall activity arrives late Wednesday night and continues into Thursday. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/WEDNESDAY-3K.gif" alt=""></p><h1>Thursday</h1><p>The Weather Prediction Center has once again highlighted the risk of excessive rainfall on Thursday, widespread throughout the Southern U.S. Once again, given the saturated grounds, we will be concerned about flash flooding, in urban and agricultural areas alike. The Storm Prediction Center has also issued a "Marginal" risk for severe storms Thursday. This includes New Orleans through Tallahassee.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/THURS SVR-1675177419120.JPG">The heaviest rain for the central Gulf begins overnight Wednesday into Thursday continuing throughout the day. As the area of low pressure draws in warmer gulf moisture, heavy rain pours in over the rest of our Gulf coast states into Thursday and moves into the Atlantic by Friday. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/thursday gulf-1675186417937.gif"></p><p>Join WeatherNation for the Eastern Regional Forecast always:10 and:30 past the hour for more details on the weekend forecast and the potential for wet weather.</p>

Flood Alerts Issued as Heavy Rain Returns to the Gulf this Week

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<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Arctic air from Canada has been grasping much of the central and western U.S. Tuesday morning, much of the northern tier of the country experienced the bone-chilling cold, with wind chill values that sank down -30 to -50 degrees, which is dangerous to any exposed skin. </span></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/wind chill-1675204632987.JPG"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Many of the Wind Chill alerts have been allowed to expire but a few do remain in effect Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. These alerts will be for wind chill values down to 35° below zero.</span></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/wind chill mn-1675204847598.JPG"></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Daytime highs will be equally cold and well below freezing into this work week. Improvements will be seen on Wednesday through Thursday, although the one exception will be across portions of the North Plains, where a reinforcing shot of cold air will return temperatures back to single-digit highs here on Thursday.</span></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/01/wed wind chills-1675204921081.JPG"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Stay with WeatherNation for the latest on the cold in the top weather headlines but also in the Central Regional Forecast, always :30 past the hour.</span></p>

Brutal Cold Tuesday Morning Before Improvements Arrive

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Kara has always been passionate about weather and knew from an early age that she wanted to become a meteorologist. Living in different regions of the country and experiencing weather events ranging from ice storms to tornadoes drove her to pursue a bachelor's degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. Throughout college, storm chasing became a regular event for Kara, where she saw first-hand the power of the atmosphere. Kara graduated cum laude from OU and decided to further her meteorology education with a Master's degree from Mississippi State University. The deadly April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak struck while Kara was studying at MSU; her first “Dixie Alley” tornado event and an up close glimpse into the destruction of the storms she so closely studied. Her broadcast career began in Elvis’ birthplace, Tupelo, Mississippi, where she earned her Certified Broadcast Meteorologist seal from the American Meteorological Society. Kara's career has included coverage of all types of severe weather including tornado events, flooding and tropical systems across multiple southern states. Recently she helped cover the 2020 Easter Sunday deadly tornado outbreak in southeast Mississippi. In her free time, you can find Kara outdoors exploring new areas with her mini poodle,Truffles. Kara is also an avid runner and frequently races in 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons. Say hi to Kara on <a href="https://twitter.com/wxkara">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/karajameswx">Facebook</a>!

Kara James

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The mountains of California are experiencing another helping of snow in the final days of January, capping off a record stretch of wet weather between the months of December 2022 and January 2023. Winter weather alerts are in effect northeast of Los Angeles, as well as east of San Diego, CA as we head into Tuesday morning for heavy snow and strong wind (ABOVE). Additional winter alerts remain in place through early Tuesday for Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. Accumulations will be 6-10" storm total for many of the Southwest mountains!

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Most of our snow ends overnight with just a few pockets of snow showers through the High Country of Arizona, northern New Mexico, and SW Colorado. An additional couple of inches of snowfall are anticipated here.

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The other factor impacting the Southwest is brutally cold conditions. The Plains of Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming will get down below 0 again overnight. In California, widespread frost and freeze alerts are in effect across the area for Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Overnight lows will be in the 20s, which could impact crops.

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As always, travel safely to your favorite winter destination in the Southwest. Have proper traction and allow extra time to travel. If you feel unsafe driving, stay home!

Winter Storm Warnings Issued Outside of LA, San Diego

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From December 26, 2022 to January 17, 2023 9 individual atmospheric rivers (ARs) impacted California and the western U.S. with tremendous amounts of rain and snow. These ARs have worked to increase California's snowpack and water resources of 80% of a full seasonal snowpack. According to NIDIS, "Statewide, precipitation over these 3 weeks was 11.2 inches, which is 46% of a full water year". As a result of the heavy rain and snowfall, drought has been significantly improved through California specifically. A three week difference in the drought monitor shows no extreme or exceptional drought in California, a vast improvement. However, the drought we are dealing with is a "long term drought" meaning reservoirs, soils and groundwater are very low, and it will take months if not years of consistent moisture to eradicate all of the West's drought. There are still areas of extreme and exceptional drought (the two highest categories) through Utah, Nevada and Oregon. Exceptional drought is the highest level of drought (5 on a scale of 1 to 5) and is characterized by "Exceptional and widespread crop and pasture losses, exceptional fire risk, shortages of water in reservoirs, streams and wells causing water emergencies." according to the National Weather Service. It is important to note that 100% of the state of California is still feeling some sort of drought conditions.

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This is all thanks to tremendous amounts of rain and snow, since December 26th, when the first potent atmospheric river began. Some spots saw nearly 4 feet of rain in just over 3 weeks. San Francisco saw 75% of their yearly rainfall within the first two weeks of January. And while the rain has been wonderful at combating the ongoing severe drought in the state, which is still facing water restrictions, all the moisture at once caused flood problems. Urban and flash flooding lead to evacuations of communities near recent burn scars and along the coastline where mudslides and debris flows are possible. Reservoirs are still below where they should be for this time of year - so consistent moisture through the Spring is key to building up the deficits.

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Speaking of the difference in reservoirs, check out the drone footage from our field correspondent Brandon Clement of the 18 months of difference in water levels. Most of the water rise is a result of the heavy rain and snow in the past month!

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The Southern Sierra has 2.5x the amount of average snowfall for this time of year. Statewide we are at 215% of normal for this time of year and already over the percent of snowpack we need by April 1st to fill reservoirs. The heavy snowfall can stress the pack, leading to the avalanche danger in the High Country. We are still relatively early in the water season, and if we end up with a drier February - April our water year could be moderate as opposed to "high" if the season continues in the wet pattern according to NIDIS. Long term <a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001fW5M_zCWjfYimO87uU823uE98Prmy-tEqL68YF95l_VQ-putwMWNmU8v2F0Rz7N005wdgpe_JDfVifGvhua0U0EO0jkhh5G_4TQtDQ-vXv-_Niby6FTP5S5wnqauJlrJR6Jd3o21P-OnTFQbw_HiO4N3uu-xPYnitlCM0lpgTy4TaiMElMcazqU-txA_jR2wM7v71rSzJkGJyZgKBRSPVA==&amp;c=BCYYPZ-7wWPZoIrsbL2OKr0K2m62iYu90u3YQ2aeY8zih7WAceulgA==&amp;ch=_3kOHF5q7RrOB0GREeDPdgZUjuKBzhOp8KcxHfU-_sIW97hfoe2k3w==">NOAA CPC Seasonal Outlooks</a> indicate the potential of drought removal or improvement in the west but specifics on how much rain/snow and when is still uncertain.

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For more on the wet weather in the west and damage as a result of multiple storm systems, join WeatherNation for your top weather headlines and Western Regional Forecast at :50 past the hour.

Atmospheric Rivers Eradicate All of California's Extreme Drought Conditions

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Meteorologists and observers atop Mount Washington in New Hampshire held a little friendly competition Thursday and decided to include the mountain's cat, Marty.

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<em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mwobs/">Courtesy MWOBS on Instagram. Follow them here!</a></em>

In a post on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Wednesday night, the observatory let the social world know about the friendly weather forecast competition. What was the competition, you say? Estimating the highest wind at the peak of Mt. Washington.

We honestly don't know who guessed what, based on the initials in the picture above. However we do recognize one name: Marty.

https://www.facebook.com/MWObs/photos/a.115190884684.99895.11654109684/10155311679679685/?type=3&theater

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MWObs/"><em>Courtesy the Mt. Washington Observatory Facebook page. Give them a like here!</em></a>

While meteorologists and observers make notes of the ongoing weather and forecast, Marty can usually be found napping on laptops or strolling around the facility. As the observatory's pet contributor, Marty is the highest cat in New England. It makes sense, since cats like to be up nice and high and look down on everything. Mount Washington sits at 6,288 feet and is New England's highest peak.

Now that you know more about Marty, let's get back to who won the contest.

https://twitter.com/MWObs/status/981915682668457986

<a href="https://twitter.com/MWObs"><em>Courtesy MWObs on Twitter. Follow them by clicking/tapping here!</em></a>

The official top wind gust on Thursday was....*drumroll*
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>120 MPH</strong></p>
So technically, no one won! Since the contest was 'closest without going over' all forecasts were above 120 miles per hour. We think it says 'Vol' on the bottom of the sticky note that had forecast 121 mph which would be the natural winner. But alas, the folks atop Mt. Washington will have to have another contest soon. The good news is that Marty the cat did not lose! (By the way, the folks at Mt. Washington took the average of all the guesses and gave that number to Marty)

<a href="https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/observer-comments.aspx?id=48692">One of the weather observers wrote about the contest and results. You can read that here.</a>

Mount Washington's peak is a notoriously windy place. It sits at just the right location where it's in the middle latitudes, the highest peak around, and close enough to the Atlantic Ocean where storm systems often strengthen rapidly. The reason it was so windy Thursday was due to a strong low pressure system over the Canadian Maritimes. It was the same low pressure area that helped bring heavy snow to the Upper Midwest Tuesday and then rain/snow showers across the East Wednesday. All-time, Mt. Washington's highest observed wind happened during the month of April, but way back in 1934. The top registered wind was 231 miles per hour! <a href="https://www.mountwashington.org/about-us/history/world-record-wind.aspx">You can read more about that event here!</a>

For WeatherNation, Meteorologist Steve Glazier