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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After multiple spots in southeast Texas received one to two FEET of rain in just 24 hours earlier this week, many instances of extreme flooding are ongoing. Roads are washed out, rivers and creeks are running high with water still standing over roads in some spots, and major flooding is expected to continue along rivers the next few days. Aerial footage shows widespread flooding in Livingston, TX, and mandatory evacuations were ordered Thursday night for those on the east fork of the San Jacinto River northeast of Houston.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1786100846977245395" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1786100846977245395"></div>More heavy rain and flooding to close out the weekend is keeping the flood risk high in southeast Texas. A Moderate Risk is issued for parts of Southeast Texas on Sunday. This level 3 out of 4 on the flood risk scale indicates an elevated risk for flash flooding, with some significant flash flooding possible. This area corresponds with the already-flooded part of the state with standing water and rivers still in major flood stage. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/1-1714873083211.png">The heavy rain threat increases Sunday morning, as storms from the overnight move into southeast Texas and the already flooded roads, rivers and creeks. The stalling cold front could produce another round of afternoon and evening heavy rain and storms, increasing flooding concerns.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/05-04 RSC TX rain-1714877710785.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video> If you live in southeast Texas from Galveston to Lufkin, be very careful on Sunday and seek higher ground if a flash flood warning is issued, or the water starts rising.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/05-04 RSC accum-1714878313428.png">Rain totals by the end of the weekend will be anywhere from 1-3" overall, but pockets of 4-5" are possible where multiple rounds of storms come through. Flooding will be expected in areas of southeast Texas already hard-hit with flooding earlier this week. Never drive through flooded roads!River flooding is a concern near the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers the next several days as upstream dams release water southward. Many rivers are at "major" flood stage, inundating surrounding neighborhoods. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot 2024-05-04 075144-1714830711623.png">

Texas: More Rain in Flooded Areas

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It may be May, but a cold-origin upper low is keeping snow in the forecast for many Western mountain communities this week!Snow started falling earlier along with coastal rain as an upper low moved onshore from the Pacific. The cold air combined with lift and moisture leads to the additional rain and mountain snow through Sunday. The Cascades and Sierra Nevada look to get the heaviest snow totals, with snow ending in the Sierra Sunday afternoon. Steady snow continues for the Cascades and northern Rockies Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as additional upper level waves reinforce the active pattern. <video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Baron 2-1714873696899.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>There are some locations which may receive 8-16 inches of snow across the highest mountain peaks! Snow levels will fall to 3,000-4,000 feet most commonly, but may fall as low as 2,500' elevation.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/1-1714862890693.png">If it feels like snow is falling late into the season, you may be surprised to know that the season's last snow for many West Coast communities lingers into May and for the highest elevations, even into June!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/est avg snowfall-1714510694011.jpg">Meanwhile, the lower elevations may accumulate up to two or three inches of rainfall! Isolated areas of flooding are possible especially along the Northwest coast, but widespread flooding is not expected.As this weather system moves across the West, it will whip up a lot of wind! The wind gusts may reach up to 55-65 miles per hour across many states, and especially higher elevations where gusts could top 80 mph. Secure your property before the wind hits! <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/1-1714862985681.png">Since this is a cold low, temperatures will remain on the cooler side the next few days while it meanders around. Most temperatures for the West will be around 10 degrees cooler than average. For most in the Pacific Northwest, that means highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s, with chilly mornings in the upper 30s to around 40. Brr!Stay with WeatherNation for the latest on the western forecast this week, or get your Western regional forecast at 50 past every hour!

First Weekend in May Brings Snow to West Coast

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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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Unfortunately, we've had back-to-back weeks of severe weather with the worst impacts from an EF-3 tornado in Westmoreland, Kansas earlier this week. Our thoughts go out to those impacted. EF is short for Enhanced Fujita and can help estimate the maximum winds within a tornado, based on the extent of storm damage.Our field correspondent, Brandon Clement, took this video of some of the damage in Westmoreland early Wednesday morning. There were multiple homes impacted with the roof and second-floor stories torn off. There were tractor-trailers tossed around like toys. Trees were snapped in half. According to local media, at least 20 buildings sustained irreparable damage.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/VO_050124_RNC_WESTMORELAND, KS_DRONE VIEW OF TORNADO DAMAGE_WHATSAPP_BRANDON CLEMENT_KW_E050124-1714570595498.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Saturday thunderstorms did produce some reports of quarter size hail in parts of Missouri and Illinois. For the overnight, thunderstorms will quickly fade with the lack of available energy. However, we will see another round of severe weather for Sunday as the front moves into warmer and more humid air in the afternoon. The biggest risk will be hail and wind across the Ohio Valley between 2 and 6 pm.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/1-1714842596092.png"><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Baron 2-1714873564431.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

Stormy Sunday in the Ohio Valley

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The severe weather risk continues for west Texas and much of the central Plains after a few tornadoes were confirmed Thursday afternoon. This includes a tornado over Hawley, TX (north of Abilene) that was nearly stationary in the area for several hours. We will update you on tornado strength when the National Weather Service can survey the damage.<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/videos/343514008353454" data-width="500" src="https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/videos/343514008353454" style="display: flex; justify-content: center"></div>The severe threat sticks around tonight with another enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) in places like Midland, San Angelo, and Fort Stockton, TX. However, the severe weather risk does extends eastwards toward Interstate 35. All modes of severe weather are possible including damaging hail and tornadoes.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/1-1714872507163.png">Tonight the supercell storms will congeal into a complex of storms. These storms will approach the Interstate 35 corridor after midnight with a wind, hail, and heavy rain threat. By Sunday morning, storms are likely knocking on the door of Houston again! SE Texas doesn't need anymore rain but more is on the way to further enhance the ongoing flooding threat.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Baron 2-1714861262146.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The severe weather threat continues into Sunday for central Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and to Louisiana. The primary threats right now are large hailstones and strong wind gusts.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot 2024-05-04 120438-1714845898086.png">Related article: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/monday-severe-weather-threat-hits-the-plains-again">Multi-Day Severe Outbreak Possible Monday - Wednesday</a>

Tornado Hits West Texas, More Storms this Weekend

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Summer of 1993, New England Dragway. That's when and where Steve knew he wanted to become a meteorologist. More than 20 years later he is extremely fortunate and blessed to be able to live his childhood dream. As a lover of math and science, Steve had a consistent interest in weather in elementary, middle, and high school before discovering you can major in meteorology. He attended Lyndon State College in Vermont where he received a bachelor's in meteorology-broadcasting and associate's in television news. He has worked as a meteorologist and reporter in Winchester, VA, Burlington, VT, and most recently in West Palm Beach, FL. He's recognized by the American Meteorological Society with the Certification of Broadcast Meteorologists.

Steven Glazier

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Similar areas that have been at risk since the end of April will experience another bout of severe weather from Monday through Wednesday. The Storm Prediction Center [SPC] has issued the severe weather outlooks for Monday through Wednesday, indicating confidence in the environment to produce severe storms. All severe weather threats are possible during this stretch: damaging wind, large hail, and a few tornadoes.Monday, the severe weather threat stretches from the I-29 corridor through the Red River Valley, with an elevated severe weather risk through central Kansas (above). On Tuesday the severe weather threat stretches from Arkansas through the Midwest including Chicago, St. Louis and Little Rock (below).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot 2024-05-04 073904-1714830114292.png">On Wednesday the threat shifts a bit further south, impacting southern Missouri, Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and northeast Texas. All modes of severe weather are on the table.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot 2024-05-04 074143-1714830125659.png">This is thanks to another wave of energy from the Pacific moving east throughout the weekend, providing enough lift to support storm development. At the surface we have moisture streaming north contributing to instability ahead of a surface cold front.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/2024-05-01 10-51-01-1714583042845.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The central and southern Plains are a bullseye for severe weather in May. The moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and cooler air from Canada clash over Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, elevating the severe threat. We know this is another day of severe weather on the horizon, but please don't let severe weather fatigue get the best of you<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot 2024-05-04 073459-1714830142503.png">Stay with WeatherNation for the latest information on the severe weather threat ahead in early May.

Multi-Day Severe Outbreak Possible Monday - Wednesday

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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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Above - Moore, Oklahoma tornado damage in May 1999 (Photo: NWS Norman)May 3rd marks the anniversary of a deadly F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Moore, and Oklahoma City, OK in 1999. This year is the 25th anniversary of the historic storm that was on the ground for 38 miles, carving a path of destruction from Chickasha through the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City. Sadly, this one storm left 46 people dead and 800 injured. Over 8,000 homes were destroyed as a result of the EF-5 tornado. The tornado messaging was a first of its kind too, when NWS Norman issued a "tornado emergency" to grab the Public's attention beyond a typical "tornado warning" <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/track-1714753651978.jpg">The tornado cut a path through communities 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile wide. It wiped out entire communities in the Oklahoma City metro. Though the Bridge Creek-Moore tornado was the strongest storm as an F5 there were an additional two F4 tornadoes in central Oklahoma. Six more tornadoes were F3! According to the National Weather Service in Norman, OK, "The final total of 72 tornadoes makes May 3-4, 1999 event the largest outbreak of tornadoes for Oklahoma since official records began in 1950." <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/norman-1714753745770.jpg">Above - Moore, Oklahoma tornado damage in May 1999 (Photo: NWS Norman)This tornado was one of 74 that touched down on May 3, 1999, in Oklahoma and Kansas. Five deaths, 100 injuries and heavy damage were reported from the Wichita, Kansas metro area. For Oklahoma, the majority of deaths from the tornado outbreak occurred as a result of the Bridge-Creek Moore F5, a total of 36 with over 580 injured by the storm. In modern U.S. history, there have only been 59 F5 or EF5 tornadoes, most recently in Moore, OK in 2013. The Fujita (F) scale transitioned to the "Enhanced Fujita" scale (EF) in 2007. According to the<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weather.gov/tae/ef_scale#:~:text=The%20EF%20Scale%20takes%20into,type%2C%20structures%2C%20and%20trees."> National Weather Service</a>, "The EF Scale takes into account more variables than the original F Scale did when assigning a wind speed rating to a tornado. The EF Scale incorporates 28 damage indicators (DIs) such as building type, structures, and trees." There are 8 degrees of damage for each indicator to help survey crews determine storm extent and strength.

Remembering Moore: 25th Anniversary of F5 Tornado

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Numerous high-temperature records fell across the Northeast Thursday, including parts of the Interstate 95 corridor! For example, Washington D.C reached a daytime high of 91 degrees and the normal high for this time of the year is 73 degrees! Raleigh, NC reached 92 degrees with many other cities along the East Coast reaching the 80s and 90s. Some of the records tied or broken are over 125 years old.<h2>Northeast</h2>The warmth continues on Friday in the mid-Atlantic while we start to see cold air intrusion in New England. Temperatures fall through the weekend back towards or below average.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/today-1714743002037.jpg">The reason for the cool down in New England is a cold front that moves through. It won't produce a lot of wet weather, but a few isolated showers in coastal Massachusetts and Maine are possible. More showers arrive with an additional system on Saturday and will contribute to a larger cool-down for the Midwest.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/2024-05-03 07-30-20-1714743068852.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>Southeast</h2>The heat will also impact the Southeast, and while it won't necessarily be record-setting, it will be about 10-15 degrees above normal. Highs jump into the 90s in Florida Peninsula with close to 90 even up into central Alabama. The above-average warmth and humidity will help lead to daily chances of afternoon thunderstorms.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/3 days-1714743002034.jpg">By Wednesday of next week, the temperatures start to soar - highs jump into the 90s and 100s with the potential to tie or break records from Texas through Florida through Friday!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/s reocrds-1714758091469.jpg">There is confidence in the above-average temperature forecasting continuing through the next couple of weeks. We expect above-average temperatures from the Carolinas through the Gulf Coast!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/05/extended-1714758193432.jpg">

Temps Climb on the East Coast, South

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One of Alaska's Warmest Decembers on Record 
If you live in Alaska or visited The Last Frontier State during the month of December you might have asked yourself, "where's the cold weather?". That's just it, there wasn't any! Of course there were a few nights and days where temperatures dipped into the typical Alaskan freeze, but overall, the state saw its fifth warmest December on record.

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December 2017 was ranked as the fifth warmest December on record with an overall state temperature of 26.5 degrees. That's not to far behind the warmest December on record with an average temperature of 28.4 degrees set back in 1969. However, it's significantly higher than Alaska's average monthly temperature of 19.0 degrees.

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These averages take into consideration both the daytime highs and nighttime lows. If we break it down, December 2017's average high temperature for the state was 31.5 degrees with a low of only 21.4 degrees. That's significantly higher than the normal daytime average high of 24.8 degrees and a low of 13.2 degrees. Overall, Alaska saw 22 days above average with only seven days below average. There were only two days with normal average temperatures. Where did all the cold air go? Those living in the Upper Midwest during the month of December might have a clue of where the cold air went....

For <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WeatherNation</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JoshCozartWx/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Cozart</a>