Kevin Schneider

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It's been one or the other for a little while on the plains: severe storms keeping temperatures in check or letting them run wild. They're running wild in the next few days which looks like it could power some storms...RELATED: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/severe-storms-possible-in-the-plains-midwest-to-end-the-week">Severe Chances on the Plains</a>A strong ridge of high pressure is migrating eastward over the next few days. That brings it squarely over the southern and central plains by the end of the week. In turn, temperatures will soar in the afternoons, like they have in the southwest to begin the week.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 072324-1778678619360.png">Highs look to be the worst in the southern plains in terms of raw temperatures, closing in on the century mark. Farther north, temperatures will top out in the 90's, nearly 30 degrees warmer than normal for them.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 072422-1778678783594.png">If records are to break in the afternoons, anywhere with a pink dot would be a candidate. Be sure to practice heat safety throughout the end of the week. Cooler weather looks like it'll return by the start of next week. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 072759-1778678901064.png">It may be so hot in Texas, that Mother Nature needs to blow off some steam. Highs could warm enough to break a capping inversion higher in the atmosphere, leading to some strong storms. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 072925-1778678976805.png">

Sweltering Temperatures Slide Eastward This Week

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<h1>WHAT TO EXPECT</h1>The SPC has issued a slight risk across the Northwest and portions of Utah. Unusually warm temperatures, combined with a frontal boundary, will help enhance winds in the area by this afternoon. Winds could gust in excess of 75 mph in some locations that get caught underneath a strong storm. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 070728-1778677667111.png">The low and its associated frontal boundary are moving onshore, bringing rain and storms along with it. As highs soar into the 90's, storms will strengthen with the potential of damaging winds and hail. By Thursday morning, the frontal boundary will move out.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/wed agerrr-1778638388237.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Rain is not much of a concern with this system. In fact, the lack of rain actually is a concern - some of these thunderstorms could be completely dry, meaning we get the harm of lightning and the winds without the help of rainfall. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 071025-1778677836476.png">It will be windy regardless; High Wind Warnings cover areas that could see 65 mph winds, and areas that have a wind advisory could see gusts approaching 45-50 mph. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/winddd-1778638453324.png">

Heat & Front Fuels Thunderstorms In The Northwest

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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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High pressure creating near record heat will give way to several storm systems in the Plains and Midwest through the end of this week and even over the weekend. As areas of low pressure exit the Rockies, they'll tap into warmth and humidity to create severe weather chances on Thursday and Friday. Another series of lows will keep the threat going over the weekend, as well.<h1>Thursday</h1>Thursday's risk will be focused along the warm and cold front of a developing surface low, with a higher risk in the middle of Kansas. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 063617-1778676378189.png">Wind and hail will be the primary threats, but hail could be significant. Significant hail is larger than 2 inches in diameter (bigger than a golf ball) and can do serious damage.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 063627-1778676388718.png">The threats shift slightly north on Friday, still with a focused slight risk from Kansas into Missouri.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 063632-1778676396521.png">Forecast</h1>The afternoons are when storms are expected to initiate, but severe weather will be possible late into the evening or even overnight once they start. This means you should review your method to get severe weather alerts to make sure they will wake you up if necessary.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-13 06-36-41-1778676417852.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Since storms won't be widespread, only spotty heavy rain is expected. While flash flooding can't be ruled out, rainfall rates likely won't be high enough to warrant an outlook.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 063638-1778676409120.png">

Severe Storms Possible in the Plains & Midwest To End the Week

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A few strong thunderstorms could disrupt your afternoon plans in parts of the Northeast on Wednesday. The low-pressure system will linger in New England through the end of the week, bringing scattered showers and gusty winds at times.<h2>WEDNESDAY</h2>A MARGINAL (level 1 out of 5) risk for severe weather is in place for Wednesday. While not a high-end threat, a few isolated damaging wind gusts are possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 055521-1778673751494.png">Storm intensity will follow the trend of daytime heating, strengthening into the early afternoon and maintaining severe weather potential through the early evening. Storms will lose energy quickly after sunset, though showers may linger after.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-13 06-10-33-1778674356503.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>THU - FRI</h2>The surface low will linger in New England Thursday into Friday before moving offshore this weekend. Expect scattered showers and a few thunderstorms in New England Thursday, with some heavy rain at times in Maine, before lingering showers get lighter and become fewer on Friday.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-13 06-12-55-1778674402467.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Rainfall totals could surpass an inch or two from the Chesapeake Bay north through Maine. Northern New England is expecting heavier rain at times as Atlantic moisture is pulled into the area, with some rain totals possibly surpassing 3-5 inches by Saturday morning. While this is a lot of rain, it should come down at a slow enough rate to avoid flash flooding. Still, be on the lookout for cumulative flooding issues like rivers running high and nuisance flooding.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 061122-1778674618762.png">

Midweek Front Brings Severe Weather to the Northeast

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WeatherNation Meteorologists

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Ready for hurricane season? As a reminder, waters in the tropical Pacific tend to warm faster than in the Atlantic; thus, the season starts about two weeks earlier in the Eastern Pacific. The CPC has moderate confidence in the formation of a tropical system in the Eastern Pacific going through the end of May into June. If you have travel plans along the SW coast of Mexico - stay up-to-date with the forecast! <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-13 054445-1778672697750.png"> If a storm were to form and reach tropical storm status, it would be named Amanda. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-02 080308-1777731407202.png">Ocean heat content has been rapidly increasing in the Eastern Pacific this Spring, which is not surprising. You might've heard about the potential for a "super" El Niño this summer. Well, the warm water created in the Eastern/Central Pacific by El Niño can lead to supercharged hurricane seasons in those regions.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-02 080401-1777731353504.png">Global circulations influenced by El Niño tend to create less disruptive wind shear in the Eastern Pacific as well. Weak upper-level winds combined with warm waters tend to lead to many tropical systems. At the same time, wind shear tends to increase in the Caribbean during these events, leading to a tougher environment for tropical systems to form and survive.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-02 080343-1777731377186.png">Last season was quite active in the Eastern Pacific, with 20 named storms and 5 major hurricanes. The Mexican National Meteorological Service issued an early outlook for the 2026 season in April, calling for another active year with roughly 20 named storms.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-02 081157-1777731386253.png">El Niño typically increases wind shear in the Atlantic, which is a primary reason why some forecasts are calling for a slightly less active season. The Atlantic averages 14 names storms a season but, despite the El Niño, the forecast is barely below average with 13 names storms. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-08 065820-1778245110818.png">We're going to get you ready for hurricane season at the beginning of June. Be sure to tune in for updated forecasts, information, and tips to prepare!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-02 083105-1777732279156.png">

The Countdown to Hurricane Season

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FLORIDA - On Sunday, May 11, 2026, a wildfire broke out in the Florida Everglades after weeks of extreme to exceptional drought conditions across the state. Since Sunday, the fire has burned more than 11,000 acres and is now 60% contained, according to the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ffs.firesponse.com/public/">Florida Forest Service</a>.According to the Pembroke Pines Police Department, smoke from the fire caused traffic backups along U.S. 27, so drivers are encouraged to avoid the area if possible.<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/PembrokePinesPolice/posts/pfbid0HvFhXfxCfYR39h64pHpAB2DduAuzTX3ft2RvmdME5aLUZZydFtpcEmboBUm5xmXUl?rdid=zfULUQ0tOgYVBpUH#" data-width="500" src="https://www.facebook.com/PembrokePinesPolice/posts/pfbid0HvFhXfxCfYR39h64pHpAB2DduAuzTX3ft2RvmdME5aLUZZydFtpcEmboBUm5xmXUl?rdid=zfULUQ0tOgYVBpUH#" style="display: flex; justify-content: center"></div> The state of Florida is currently 100% drought-covered, with 98% of the state experiencing conditions worse than moderate drought.<h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-11 173747-1778542672316.png"> Incoming Rain and Storms</h2>Rain chances continue this week, raising concerns about how much moisture these drought-stricken soils can handle. While any rainfall will be beneficial, heavy downpours in a short amount of time could lead to standing water and localized flash flooding. Rain totals will be more isolated Wednesday and totals will be less than Tuesday, where areas in north Florida picked up over 2". <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-03-29 060538-1778678292624.png">Wednesday the severe storm threat remains low, and just general isolated thunderstorms are expected. Fingers crossed some of that rain gets down to the Everglades to help with that fire! <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-03-29 061107-1778678402180.png">

Tracey Anthony

Florida Wildfire and Storm Threat

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WEST - An upper-level ridge has led to very warm temperatures in the western U.S. Dozens of records are expected, each city represented by a pink dot (above) is a location where record highs could be broken or tied. Records have been falling since Mother's Day, including spots on Monday like Salt Lake City that hit 92°.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-11 200341-1778551460349.png">Excessive Heat Warnings and Advisories remain in place for the southwest through tonight. Keep practicing heat safety as the week gets off to a hot start.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-12 110345-1778605455123.png">Spots like Las Vegas and Phoenix will dig into the 100s on Tuesday. Even areas as far north as Boise could threaten the century mark. If they get to 98 Tuesday afternoon, it will not only be the earliest on record, but beat the average first 98 by almost 6 weeks!!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-12 061251-1778588043202.jpg">The heat will slide east as the week progresses. Highs in the Central and High Plains will soar into the 90s, threatening records here as early as Tuesday afternoon. Denver normally averages 69°, and will see a high of 90° on Wednesday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot 2026-05-12 110428-1778605475814.png">

Alana Cameron

Warm Week Continues For Millions

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A fire called the Great Lake Fire began Wednesday night and exploded in size on Friday, reaching to 35,000 acres with only 10 percent containment. The fire was fueled by strong, gusty wind and dry air on Friday. Watch the smoke plume off the fire below.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/04/2023-04-22 15-41-53-1682200136702.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The fire is located near Havelock and New Bern in eastern North Carolina. It is burning within the Croatan National Forest and sending smoke and ash to nearby New Bern. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/04/23-1682200144400.jpg">Fortunately this weekend there have been rain showers moving over this fire. Rainfall amounts seem to be light, but hopefully this will help ease the rate of fire spread. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/04/24-1682200152433.jpg">Big plumes of smoke have resulted in poor air quality in neighboring towns and cities. If you have pre-existing respiratory issues, limit time outside.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/04/25-1682200157163.jpg">Remember, "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires!"

Great Lake Fire Burns 35,000 Acres in North Carolina

Sweltering Temperatures Slide Eastward This Week

It's been one or the other for a little while

Heat & Front Fuels Thunderstorms In The Northwest

WHAT TO EXPECTThe SPC has issued a slight ris

Severe Storms Possible in the Plains & Midwest To End the Week

High pressure creating near record heat will

Midweek Front Brings Severe Weather to the Northeast

A few strong thunderstorms could disrupt your

The Countdown to Hurricane Season

Ready for hurricane season? As a reminder, wa

Florida Wildfire and Storm Threat

FLORIDA - On Sunday, May 11, 2026, a wildfire

Warm Week Continues For Millions

WEST - An upper-level ridge has led to very w