<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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<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2039523955070153134" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2039523955070153134"></div><p>Several waves of low pressure will traverse the northern tier of the country through the end of this week, bringing plenty of lift and clashing temperatures to set the stage for heavy rain and severe storms. Several rounds of severe storms occurred earlier this week already, producing a tornado (above) in Texas Wednesday and massive hail in the Midwest on Thursday (below)!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-03 060527-1775217942336.png"></p><h1>Friday - Saturday</h1><p>A strong low moving off the Rockies brings a wide severe weather threat on Friday, with an elevated risk around northern Missouri and southern Iowa. Numerous bowing segments, creating hurricane force winds, will be possible.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-03 065813-1775221852944.png">A few strong tornadoes will be possible once again, especially between Kansas City and Des Moines.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-03 071029-1775221844463.png">As the front begins to lose energy on Saturday, severe storms become less likely. There are two areas currently highlighted where isolated severe storms are possible. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-03 062425-1775219102495.png">The afternoon and evening hours should be prime time for severe storms on Friday and Saturday, while some strong storms may linger late Friday, possibly past midnight.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/New Baron Video 3-1775182272713.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>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 2026-04-03 064614-1775220390137.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-03 064609-1775220398966.png">Tune into WeatherNation for the latest on these storms.</p>

Numerous Tornadoes Expected in the Midwest, Severe Threat Continues

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<p><strong>LIFTOFF -</strong> 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.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2039477801787769177" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2039477801787769177"></div><p>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.</p><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><p><strong>Day 1: </strong>focused on launch and entering Earth orbit.</p></li><li><p><strong>Days 2-4: </strong>outbound transit toward the Moon.</p></li><li><p><strong>Days 5-6</strong>: Orion will fly by the Moon, entering its sphere of influence, where the Moon becomes the dominant gravitational force.</p></li><li><p><strong>Days 7-10</strong>: return trip to Earth, followed by re-entry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, where the U.S. Navy will recover the capsule.</p></li></ul><p><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!</p><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><p>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.</p><p><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.</p><p><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.</p>

Tracey Anthony

Artemis II Launch Goes Perfectly, Tracking Orion Around the Moon

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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>On the northern side of the severe weather chances, winter continues across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. In the last 24 hours, ice has accreted up to half an inch thick in parts of Wisconsin. Thousands of residents are in the dark because of trees falling on power lines. The first round of snow and ice will end later tonight across the Arrowhead of Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/1-1775157754825.png"></p><p>As we look ahead to Friday and Saturday, winter storm warnings and advisories are out for the second low pressure system to emerge from the Northern Rockies. Friday, pockets of freezing rain and snow will be likely. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/WEB 1-1775222288625.png"></p><p>Initially, freezing rain will break out across parts of the Upper Midwest as more warm moist air is brought northward from the Gulf interacting with the colder air. Then, the column of air will progressively get colder from the top to the bottom supporting snow before the system exits Saturday afternoon.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/2026-04-03 09-19-14-1775222384078.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>With the second round of snow, an additional 6-12 inches of snow 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/2026/04/1-1775182390618.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/1-1775182433697.png"></p>

Snow and Ice Threat for Upper Midwest

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Kevin Schneider

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<p><strong>WHAT TO EXPECT </strong></p><p>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.</p><h2>OUTLOOK</h2><p>An <strong>ENHANCED </strong>risk has been issued through the overnight hours.  Damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes will be possible.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/fjfjfjss-1775063569605.png"></p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/wind s-1775063505900.png"></p><h2>TIMING</h2><p>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. </p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/FORECASSSTTTTTTT-1775091363575.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p></p><p></p>

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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<p>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"><strong><em>historic heatwave</em></strong></a> in March, a shift in the jet stream has brought cooler and wetter weather back to the area.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2038436047768670271" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2038436047768670271"></div><p></p><h1>Alerts</h1><p>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.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-01 164533-1775083550601.png"></p><p>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.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot 2026-04-01 164841-1775083739866.png"></p><h1>Forecast Timing</h1><p>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.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/04/FORSS-1775091796749.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p></p><p><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!</p>

Jackie Brown

SW Pattern Change: Tracking Rain & Snow

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<p>It's been unbearably hot across the West for the last week, after warm and dry conditions for a good chunk of the winter season. This has led to drought conditions, with dry vegetation ready to burn. Another cold front moves across the Northern Rockies and High Plains, increasing fire danger into the upcoming week. Fire Weather Alerts are in effect overnight.  There are even threats for isolated dry thunderstorms that can spark wildfires in Arizona and New Mexico overnight.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/overnightttttssss-1774923482169.png">In Nebraska, the Ashby and Minor fires grew rapidly by tens of thousands of acres, very close to the Morrill burn scar. Given the continued fire weather conditions, more fire growth is possible.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-30 083405-1774881249265.png">An elevated threat for fire weather continues Tuesday across portions of New Mexico and Texas.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-30 083433-1774881277930.png">Keep it locked in on WeatherNation, as we continue to update you on these fires and their impacts!</p>

Critical Fire Danger & Isolated Dry Thunderstorms

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<p><em>Top Image Credit: National Parks Service</em></p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8V6xqwukzO0" start="0"></iframe></div><p>Spring is here and so are the blooms of flowers all across North America. This includes the famous cherry tree bloom around the National Mall in Washington, D.C.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 050710-1774696193114.png">On Thursday, March 26th, the National Mall announced peak bloom has been reached! The peak is expected to last about a week or so, depending on weather conditions. On March 5th, the National Park Service announced its projected peak cherry blossom date for 2026, which was only off by about 3 days - an impressive forecast!</p><h2>What is "peak bloom"?</h2><p>The peak bloom date is defined as the day when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open, one of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/types-of-trees.htm"><strong><u>many types of cherry trees</u></strong></a> in the area. Peak bloom usually lasts for several days, with the blooms taking <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/bloom-watch.htm"><strong><u>about two to three weeks to reach peak</u></strong></a> after the appearance of green buds. As buds begin to appear, the forecast peak date will be updated by National Park Service horticulturists.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-26 080844-1774534352362.png"></p><h2>Past Blooms</h2><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-06 080035-1772811048593.png"><br>Due to variable weather conditions, peak bloom has occurred as early as March 15th (1990) and as late as April 18th (1958).</p><p>Visiting the blossoming cherry trees has become a favorite springtime tradition for Americans and tourists alike, dating back to 1912 when Japan gifted the U.S. about 3,000 cherry trees. The cherry trees in Japan have been putting on a show for thousands of years, with the dates of blooms being <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/date-of-the-peak-cherry-tree-blossom-in-kyoto"><strong><u>recorded all the way back to the 9th century</u></strong></a>. The dates for this year's peak blooms in Japan are expected from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.japan-guide.com/sakura/"><strong><u>late March through late April</u></strong></a> from north to south across the nation.</p>

Alana Cameron

PEAK BLOOM - Cherry Blossoms Emerge at the National Mall

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Warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds over the last couple of weeks have lead to many brush fires and fire weather alerts in the West. The G22 fire started back on April 3rd on the Fort Apache Reservation near Cibecue, Arizona and has burned more than 2,000 acres.

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The fire danger concerns over the next couple days are focused from Arizona into Texas and also in Oregon. Red Flag Warnings are in effect today (Friday) for areas west of the Cascades in Oregon where humidity will fall below 25% this afternoon and the wind will increase.

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Fire weather concerns are elevated into Saturday for southeastern Arizona and far southwestern New Mexico.

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The severe drought conditions continue over the Desert Southwest. With no meaningful rainfall in the forecast, fire danger will remain high through the coming days.

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The contributing factors into a high fire danger include the dry soils and vegetation. The snow has melted across this region (other than in the mountains) and the vegetation has not "greened up" yet, resulting in dry fuels.

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In order to prevent fires from spreading rapidly, we need *your* help! Only you can prevent the next wildfire!

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For more updates on today's fire risk, make sure to tune-in to WeatherNation anytime throughout the day.

High Fire Danger Continues in the Southwest and Oregon

Numerous Tornadoes Expected in the Midwest, Severe Threat Continues

Several waves of low pressure will traverse t

Artemis II Launch Goes Perfectly, Tracking Orion Around the Moon

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

Snow and Ice Threat for Upper Midwest

On the northern side of the severe weather ch

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

Critical Fire Danger & Isolated Dry Thunderstorms

It's been unbearably hot across the West for

PEAK BLOOM - Cherry Blossoms Emerge at the National Mall

Top Image Credit: National Parks ServiceSprin