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

Jesse Kelley

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<p>A tornado touched down in Lincoln, NE, just before 3 PM central time on Friday. There is no word of damage in the city, but this storm continued to move north and impact areas along and north of I-80.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1783951625201025051" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1783951625201025051"></div><p>This tornado struck Waverly, NE, a suburb on the NE side of Lincoln, where it derailed a train. Surveys will be ongoing in the coming days to determine storm strength, distance and wind speed.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1784000132268130366" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1784000132268130366"></div><p>There was an EMERGENCY tornado warning issued for the northern suburbs of Omaha, NE, at around 3:45 PM CT - 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 funnel. 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.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1783961145100980348" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1783961145100980348"></div><p>There are two areas of severe weather, north around the area of low pressure in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, but also south into Texas and Oklahoma Related article: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/weekend-forecast-more-severe-weather-in-the-plains"><strong><em><u>Weekend Severe Threat</u></em></strong></a></p><h2>North Side - K.C., Omaha, Des Moines</h2><p>The greatest threat of severe storms overnight is around the area of low pressure with natural spin in the atmosphere. This includes the cities of Davenport, Springfield and St. Louis. The severe threat will start lowering after midnight as thunderstorms move into southern Wisconsin and Illinois. All modes are still possible including strong tornadoes near the low in Iowa, large hail, and gusty winds. Don't let you guard down yet because more storms are likely tomorrow!</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Baron 2-1714181172669.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>South Side - Tex-a-Homa</h2><p>Storms in Texas and Oklahoma intensified overnight Thursday into Friday morning, producing large hail and tornadoes in Oklahoma before sunrise. More storms developed midday, and another confirmed tornado touched down in Waco, TX. It moved northeast, impacting cities south of Dallas along I-35 and I-45.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1783923252944920977" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1783923252944920977"></div><p>For the rest of tonight, flooding and severe weather will be a huge concern along Interstate 30! Radar has estimated over seven inches of rain has fallen west of Texarkana! Just like the northern side of Friday's event, the storm coverage in the Southern Plains should wane after midnight. However, more active weather is likely tomorrow! Please stay weather aware for the rest of the weekend!</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Baron 2-1714181690310.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

Kara James

Tornado Touches Down in Nebraska and Iowa on Friday

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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>!

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<p>Snow is on the way for the Intermountain West this weekend! An area of low pressure arrives from the Pacific, tapping into moisture to bring low-elevation rain and high-elevation snow. Winter alerts have been issued for the Wasatch, Colorado Rockies, and the Northern Rockies through Sunday.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/1-1714182729596.png"></p><p>Widespread showers are expected in the West into Saturday morning, with snow showers at the highest elevations possible. Rain turns to snow by Saturday morning in the Colorado Rockies and Wasatch. With scattered showers for lower elevation areas, it will be a soggy stretch for much of the West. Snow levels drop as low as 7,000 feet in elevation on Saturday as temperatures cool. The low-pressure system responsible for the wet weather will exit to the Plains Sunday, with cool air and moisture lingering in the Colorado Rockies through Sunday evening.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Baron 2-1714183005069.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>The heaviest snowfall will fall in areas above 10,000 feet, with the potential for 12" or more snow! Even down to elevation 7,000 feet (foothills outside of Denver), there could be over 6" of snow. Traveling on I-70 will be difficult, but the fresh snow will help ski resorts that are still open, like Breckenridge. We will unlikely see snow in the cities of Denver and Colorado Springs, with heavy rainfall more likely. On average, the Mile High City sees its last snowfall on April 28th.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/1-1714183076691.png"></p><p>As mentioned above, cold air will follow our front, bringing temperatures to frosty lows on Sunday and Monday. The 30s are expected to return to the Dakotas, Nebraska, and the Front Range of Colorado. There will be a sharp cutoff of freezing temperatures thanks to our front but expect lows to drop for everyone as the front pushes east early next week.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-02-26 113946-1714133806213.jpg">Stay with WeatherNation for the latest information on our warm temperatures and weekend snow potential.</p>

Spring Snow on the Horizon in Colorado

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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>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 severe weather. Nearly half of those days have been Level 3 or higher. Related Article - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/severe-weather-returns-to-the-plains-thursday-friday"><strong><em><u>Friday's Severe Weather Threat. </u></em></strong></a>Storms on Saturday are in nearly the same locations of the last few days, so please do not become a victim of severe weather fatigue.</p><h2>Saturday</h2><p>Our storm threat on Saturday is an <strong>ENHANCED</strong> (level 3 out of 5) risk that extends from Des Moines, IA, to farther south through Wichita Falls, TX. The southern threat will be more potent, with damaging hail and tornadoes possibly occurring. Storms ongoing in the morning in the Great Lakes region will be leftover from Friday's storm threat. The afternoon's heat will help develop storms once again in the Plains - these linger into the overnight hours and ultimately into Sunday morning, too. This means you must have multiple ways to get weather alerts, which need to be able to wake you up.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Baron 2-1714182170242.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>Sunday</h2><p>More severe weather looks likely on Sunday as the front hits warm, moist air over the central and southern Plains. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a severe weather outlook across the Great Plains and Midwest, and severe weather will continue into Monday morning in an overnight threat, so please look ahead to the weekend and have multiple ways to get alerts.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Baron 2-1714182455365.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>Flood Threat</h2><p>In addition to the severe weather, there is a flood threat, especially in Missouri, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Our bullseye for the heaviest rain will be Saturday through central Oklahoma and northern Texas. We anticipate that with multiple rounds of heavy rainfall, the ground will struggle to absorb additional rain that falls this weekend.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/1-1714182505208.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/1-1714182541957.png"></p><p>Stay with WeatherNation for the latest in the severe weather threat and forecast information.</p>

Weekend Forecast: More Severe Weather, Flash Flooding

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<p>Temps are climbing in the Northeast, and by early next week, the frosty starts of the last few days will be in the rearview. We have one more chilly morning Saturday, with lows near 34° from southeast New England south through the New Jersey coast. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/frost-1714166492389.jpg">This is the last of the chill though, as a high pressure nudges in from the south. This will bring warm and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico into the Northeast, and temperatures will climb quickly into next week. </p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-26 08-55-00-1714144926800.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>Highs jump into the 70s and even the 80s for major cities in the Northeast, from Louisville to Boston, with D.C. approaching 90 by Monday! Multiple cities have the opportunity to tie or break records Sunday through the beginning of the work week. This includes D.C., Akron, Scranton and Asheville.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/three day temps-1714143429017.jpg">The warmest day will be Monday with widespread highs about 15-20° above average! It will feel more like late June than late April - time to break out the shorts!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/high vs avg-1714143429019.jpg"></p>

From frosty temps to Record Warmth in the Northeast

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<p>More people die from heat every year than ALL other extreme weather COMBINED. So how do you know how hot it is it <em>really</em> 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. </p><p>According to <span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">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." </span></p><p><span>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.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">&nbsp;</span></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/major-1713896597233.jpg"><span>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.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">&nbsp;</span></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/mod-1713896597231.jpg"><span>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;</span><span style="color: windowtext">&nbsp;In 2023 during Phoenix's month-long stretch of 100°+ degree days, more people died in their un-air conditions homes than outdoors. </span></p><p><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.<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">&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. </span><span>Look for the new HeatRisk product and temperature forecasts this summer on WeatherNationTV. For more information from NOAA, visit the </span><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"><strong><em><u><span>HeatRisk Dashboard.</span></u></em></strong></a></p>

NOAA Debuts "HeatRisk" Tool Nationwide

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Kevin Schneider

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<p>It’s the soundtrack to the summer. Nature’s noisemakers are set to return in a <em>big</em> way this year as not one, but <em>two</em> sets of periodical cicadas will emerge in the Midwest and Southeast. It is the first time these two specific broods have surfaced <em>together</em> 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.</p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o5jJPrP5rfE" start="0"></iframe></div><p></p><p>The southern brood emerges every 13 years and is known as the <strong>Brood XIX, </strong>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!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Closer look at Illinois locations overlap.mp4_snapshot_00.01.232-1713196589008.jpg"></p><blockquote><p>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.”</p></blockquote><p>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.</p><p><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.</p><p><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.</p>

Double Trouble: Cicadas Take to the Skies this Spring

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<p>A critical fire risk is in place for west Texas, eastern Colorado, and New Mexico through the next few days 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 single digits and teens, meaning there will be no moisture in our atmosphere to help taper fire growth.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-02-26 113946-1714134189244.jpg">Strong winds are anticipated on Friday, especially through New Mexico. Winds will be sustained along the Front Range of New Mexico and Colorado between 30-50 mph with isolated wind gusts over 65 mph. If a flame starts, it will move as quickly as the winds, at about 40 mph. We can't stress enough how critical this week's fire risk is.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/forecast-1714134246383.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>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).</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/drought-1714053897089.jpg"></p>

Critical Fire Risk in West Texas, New Mexico

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A slow moving storm system extending across the Plains will bring a threat for flooding to the mid section of the nation. Flash Flood Watches extend from near Lake Superior to the Rio Grande River in Texas. More than 6" of rain may fall in some areas through the middle of the week.

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<img class="alignnone wp-image-98175 size-full" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/10/qpf-3.png" alt="Flood Potential from the Upper Midwest to the Southern Plains" width="1636" height="916" />

<img class="alignnone wp-image-98176 size-full" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/10/excrain.png" alt="Flood Potential from the Upper Midwest to the Southern Plains" width="1638" height="898" />

A strong Jet Stream coupled with high humidity will aid in producing heavy rainfall. "Summer-like" Gulf of Mexico moisture and waves of energy riding along the Jet Stream will produce numerous showers and thunderstorms throughout the week.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-98177 size-full" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/10/fcstpattern.png" alt="Flood Potential from the Upper Midwest to the Southern Plains" width="1638" height="925" />

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For <a href="https://media.weathernationtv.com/">WeatherNation</a>: Meteorologist Mace Michaels