<p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #454545;">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></span></p>

Rob Bradley

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<p>Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall around 6:15 am ET on Saturday, near Emerald Isle, North Carolina. Maximum sustained winds reached 70 mph, with a minimum pressure of 981 mb. Ophelia will continue to bring gusty winds, storm surge, high surf, and torrential rain to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic this weekend. Power outages have been scattered in coastal counties but will increase through the day. Prepare by charging devices and reviewing generator safety if you intend to use one.</p><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/videos/1001927184348846" data-width="500" src="https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/videos/1001927184348846" style="display: flex; justify-content: center"></div><p>The heaviest rain will favor inland North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic today. Ophelia will slowly nudge up the I-95 corridor, weakening as it moves into Appalachia. Even as a remnant low, it will bring rain and wind impacts Sunday and Monday to the Northeast.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-23 06-45-26-1695473564956.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>Flood Threat</h2><p>Heavy rainfall could lead to flooding, especially for areas that are prone to flooding. This includes coastal communities along with inland areas (Raleigh, Virginia Beach, Atlantic City NJ, Washington DC, Baltimore). Upwards of 3" of rain already fell Friday in parts of North Carolina, and an additional 5" of rain is possible through the weekend as Ophelia makes its way up the Eastern Seaboard.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/rainfall-1695473414276.jpg">Coastal flood advisories and warnings have been issued through the coast of New Jersey for the push of seawater moving on shore due to Ophelia's wind field. This is where we expect freshwater rainfall flooding and the rise of rivers and oceans to create flooding on low lying areas.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/flood-1695473284986.jpg">In addition to the coastal flood threat there is a widespread inland flood risk from North Carolina to Rhode Island as upwards of 4" of rain could fall, especially through eastern VA and NC. Please do not drive through flooded roadways and limit travel today.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/wpc-1695473286698.jpg"></p><h2>Wind</h2><p>Winds will gust in the range of 20-40 mph for inland communities and 30-50 mph for coastal areas. The wind will stir up the ocean and onshore flooding will create issues for barrier islands and east-facing beaches. TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS are in effect for the Carolinas and Virginia through the weekend with a Hurricane Watch for very isolated portions of North Carolina. This is where winds could reach tropical storm strength of over 50 mph sustained with gusts higher.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-23 06-46-46-1695473443725.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>Surge</h2><p>Storm surge may reach 2-4' on the outer beaches during high tide and up to 5 feet near the Pamlico Sound. If you live right along the coast be sure to prepare your home for the seawater threat. A Storm Surge warning is in effect from Surf City, North Carolina to Chincoteague, Virginia, and the for the Chesapeake Bay. Please listen to your local officials and leave the area if asked to. Otherwise, move any fragile or important objects off the first floor of your home in the event there is flooding from storm surge.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/09-23 Surge-1695471402870.jpg"></p><h2>Severe Weather</h2><p>In addition to the flood threat, brief spin-up tornadoes are through much of Saturday. This is common with any tropical system as outer rainbands acquire some rotation from the natural spin of the low itself. The risk highlights the Capitol Region and eastern Virginia on Saturday.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/tornado-1695473412561.jpg">Now is the time to think ahead for any weekend plans and potential impacts from rain, wind, and surf (if headed to the beach or live in a coastal community).</p>

Ophelia Makes Landfall in North Carolina, Tropical Storm Conditions Spread North

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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>Severe weather is in the forecast this weekend as an upper low and cold front work together to develop thunderstorms. In addition to severe weather threats, heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding is possible especially through eastern Oklahoma. There is an <strong>ENHANCED</strong> outlook issued for damaging winds through SE Kansas and northern Oklahoma. This is the area with the environment to produce severe storms, including egg size hail (2" thick), 65 mph wind gusts, and tornadoes.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/enahnced-1695474842779.jpg">Showers and storms don't develop until nearly sundown tonight and continue overnight. Please have ways to get alerts BEFORE you go to bed. Large hail and tornadoes are our primary threats as these storms will be discrete, or individual in nature, with large updrafts to support rotation and hail development. Into Sunday the front pushes south, along with it the storm threat, moving into the DFW area with all severe weather hazards possible.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-23 07-12-45-1695474940466.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>Much of north-central Texas is highlighted Sunday for severe weather potential, including the Dallas metroplex. Be prepared for multiple rounds of storms with damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes. Heavy rain and flooding is likely too, especially for areas east of I-35 in both Oklahoma and Texas.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/sun 3-1695474923615.jpg">As the front drops even further south on Monday there is the severe risk draped through central southern Texas. These are areas that are under extreme and exceptional drought so rainfall is welcomed here. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/sunday-1695474925347.jpg"></p>

Tornado Threat: KC, Tulsa, OKC Today

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<p>After a stormy day Friday that produced big hail in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska, more heavy rain and storms are in the forecast for the High Plains this weekend. This rainfall is desperately needed - there is significant drought through eastern Nebraska, northern North Dakota and Iowa that has been worsening this summer under hot and dry conditions.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/plains rain-1695473750088.jpg">This also comes with a severe weather threat with all severe weather hazards possible: damaging winds, quarter-size hail or larger, and tornadoes. There will be two areas of focus: One in the Dakotas around the area of low pressure and along the occluded front (purple line below), through the I-29 corridor. Storms will be possible in both of these locations but the severe weather threat will focus primarily around the front late into the evening.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-23 06-54-57-1695473786195.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>Due to the large nature of the system, much of the Plains highlighted with the severe storm risk on Saturday, from Minnesota through Texas. All severe weather hazards are possible, including the risk for egg-size hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. Please think ahead to your plans and make arrangements to be safe from severe weather.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/tornado today-1695473892195.jpg">In addition to the severe storm threats, gusty winds not associated with thunderstorms will be present through the weekend. The strongest winds will be located near the surface low and along the front, for the Dakotas and along the I-35 corridor of Iowa.  As the low moves through, winds will increase ahead of it out of the south or southeast, and kick up behind the low after it passes out of the west or northwest.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/wind-1695473894493.jpg">  </p>

More Storms & Severe Weather for the High Plains

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<p style="text-align: center"><em>Above - stereoscopic images provides a 3D view of the large, 170-foot (52-meter) boulder that juts from asteroid Bennu’s southern hemisphere and the rocky slopes that surround it (Credit: NASA, OSIRIS-REx Project) </em></p><p>A first for NASA and space science is happening this weekend: the first ever asteroid samples collected in space are coming back to Earth on Sunday, September 24th. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will release a capsule with pieces of the asteroid Bennu over Earth on Sunday morning. The capsule is set to land in Utah and be retrieved by the OSIRIS-REx team. </p><p>The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex">OSIRIS-REx</a> (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security – Regolith Explorer) project launched in September of 2016, putting a spacecraft on the asteroid Bennu to collect rocks and dust from the surface. The goal of the mission is to "investigate how planets formed and how life began, as well as improve our understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth" according to NASA. </p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/OSIRIS-REx_Touchdown_on_Bennu-1695312747690.gif"></p><p style="text-align: center"><em><span style="color: rgb(90, 100, 112)">Captured on Oct. 20, 2020, during the OSIRIS-REx mission’s Touch-And-Go (TAG) sample collection event, this series of images shows the SamCam imager’s field of view as the NASA spacecraft approaches and touches down on asteroid Bennu’s surface. (credit: NASA)</span></em></p><p>The samples collected from Bennu are from October 2020. <span style="color: rgb(58, 58, 58)">According to NASA, the spacecraft collected enough samples in two days to start the journey back to Earth.</span><em> </em><span style="color: rgb(58, 58, 58)">During the departure, "OSIRIS-REx imaged Bennu for 5.9 hours, covering more than a full rotation of the asteroid. It flew within 2.1 miles (3.5 kilometers) of Bennu's surface". Despite moving at 600 mph, the journey back to Earth still took OSIRIS-REx roughly 2.5 years to make!</span></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/bennuola1-1695313273805.gif"></p><p style="text-align: center"><em>This three-dimensional view of asteroid Bennu was created by the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA), contributed by the Canadian Space Agency, on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. (credit: NASA)</em></p><p>The spacecraft's next mission will take it into the orbit of the near-Earth asteroid <span style="color: rgb(58, 58, 58)">Apophis in 2029. Apophis is about 1,200 feet in diameter and is expected to come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029. The asteroid is an "S-type", made up of Silica materials and is remnants of our early solar system. </span></p><p>OSIRIS-REx is the third of four missions in NASA's New Frontier program to explore our solar system with medium sized spacecraft. Other missions in the program include: New Horizons (exploring Pluto since 2006), Juno (exploring Jupiter since 2011) and Dragonfly (Saturn's Moon Titan, set to launch in 2026). </p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O8R2hsoIgTc" start="0"></iframe></div><p>Per NASA, the capsule landing starts at 10 a.m. EDT (8 a.m. MDT) and will air on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nasa.gov/live"><strong><em><u>Watch here</u></em></strong></a>. WeatherNation will bring you updates on the mission throughout the day on Sunday. </p>

Happening this Weekend: Asteroid Samples Come Back to Earth

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<p>Have the leaves started changing where you live? We are now into Meteorological Fall, with the Autumnal Equinox just around the corner. We will continue to notice the changing leaves in the coming weeks.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/PKG_092920_TRT 1.52_WHEN LEAVES CHANGE_ROB BRADLEY_CM_E092920-1694870877324.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>But why and how do leaves change color? It is due to Chlorophyll in the leaves decaying into the cooler weather of the season. We've still been quite warm so the changeover has been slow for many.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/why they change-1694871127699.jpg">In fact, the majority of the country (outside of mountains over 10k feet) hasn't dropped below freezing or close to it yet this fall - we are roughly two weeks behind schedule for the Rockies, Bitterroots, and Cascades which could be contributing to the slow to develop colors. The colder air is arriving though, which should speed up the color changes.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1704911375175393467" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1704911375175393467"></div><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/first freeze-1694871125678.jpg">Right now much of the fall foliage is seen in the Rockies where cooler air is starting to make an influence. We want to avoid a quick freeze though, as that could cause the leaves to wilt and die before they reach their true potential! Colors should start to explode in the coming days across Colorado when the Aspens turn. In addition, cooler air moving into the Northwest should create further color across the Cascades!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/forecast-1695474270804.jpg"></p><p>Have fall foliage photos to share? Tag us on social media @weathernation</p>

First Day of Fall: Where to Leaf Peep

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<p>Outside of Opehlia, in the next seven days, we will be keeping our eyes on a tropical wave off the coast of Africa. This wave has a high chance of development in the next seven days. It will stay out in open waters but could bring large surf and high winds to the northern Leeward Islands. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/fish-1695475481194.jpg"><br>We have about 35% of the Atlantic hurricane season left. The rest of September and October can be busy months, tropically speaking.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/9-20 we r here-1695264590131.png"></p>

Atlantic Tropical Outlook

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<p>ROCKIES - It's September in the Rockies and while some of us may be leaf-peeping, a taste of winter is knocking at our door. The National Weather Service has issued its first winter weather advisories for the northern Rockies of Montana and Bitterroots of Idaho. From 6,000 to 6,500 feet about 1-2" of wet snow can be expected. Above 7,500 feet between 2-5" of snow, and at the summits up to 10" are possible. This includes Glacier National Park. In addition to snowfall, winds over the Divide may gust as high as 45 mph which will lower visibility for travelers.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/snow-1695329702997.jpg">In addition to the chance of snowfall, much cooler air is expected across the Northwest as this incoming upper-level low swings through. Rain is expected at many lower elevations, and generally unsettled weather can be expected for the next few days. Rainfall may be heavy at times, so excessive rainfall outlooks have been issued through the start of the weekend.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-22 07-59-48-1695391216763.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>If you live in any of the areas and take a weather picture or video, be sure to tag us on X, Facebook, or Instagram @weathernation and we may feature your video!</p>

More Snow for the Rockies

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Several inches of rain fell across the Southwest bringing relief to the drought stricken area.

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Most of the Southwest from southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and much of Colorado were in a Moderate Drought situation. According to NIDIS U.S. Drought Portal, severe drought conditions were reported across half of the Four Corner states with Extreme Drought conditions in parts of Arizona and New Mexico.

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Phoenix, AZ received 0.25" of rain Wednesday-- the most since mid August.

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Meanwhile Lubbock, TX remains in desperate need of rain. If no rain is reported by the end of Thursday, then Lubbock would be in for a 99 day streak without measurable rain. It hasn't rained since before Halloween!

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Drought has been intensifying across the entire Southwest since the start of the year. This week welcomes a series of storm centers bringing widespread mountain snow showers and lower elevation rain. This should help put a slight dent in the drought conditions across the Southwest.

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Drier weather looks to return to the Southwest into next week with temperatures on either side of average.

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Temperatures will be turning cooler entering next week across the Southwest.

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For WeatherNation: <a href="https://media.weathernationtv.com/team/nick-merianos/">Meteorologist Nick Merianos</a>

Heavy Rain Brings Relief to Drought-Stricken Southwest

Ophelia Makes Landfall in North Carolina, Tropical Storm Conditions Spread North

Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall around 6

Tornado Threat: KC, Tulsa, OKC Today

Severe weather is in the forecast this weeken

More Storms & Severe Weather for the High Plains

After a stormy day Friday that produced big h

Happening this Weekend: Asteroid Samples Come Back to Earth

Above - stereoscopic images provides a 3D vie

First Day of Fall: Where to Leaf Peep

Have the leaves started changing where you li

Atlantic Tropical Outlook

Outside of Opehlia, in the next seven days, w

More Snow for the Rockies

ROCKIES - It's September in the Rockies and w