Dave Holder

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While much of the country, and in particular the Southwest, has been baking underneath a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/record-heat-rolls-east-this-week">historic heatwave</a>, a shift in the jet stream will mean cooler and wetter weather ahead!<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/New Baron Video 3-1774750066894.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>This weekend, stronger upper-level winds are beginning to overspread the Desert Southwest. As this occurs, rain and high-elevation snow chances will increase on Sunday and Monday with afternoon heating.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-27 115526-1774634146026.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1774663680996.png">Unfortunately, drought conditions have been building across much of the West for the last couple of weeks. Extreme and Exceptional Drought now covers the majority of western Colorado. The good news is that there is some confidence in above-average precipitation as we head into April.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/New Baron Video 3-1774750177353.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Precipitation chances will persist through much of next week, especially for the Four Corners on Tuesday. Another strong upper-level low dropping in from the Northwest could keep things active through the latter half of next week.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1774750263980.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1774750285360.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!

Adrian Hernandez

Jesse Kelley

Southwest Pattern Change Ahead

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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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A strong cold front raced across the Midwest on Thursday, producing numerous severe thunderstorms. A few small tornadoes were confirmed in Ohio; otherwise, the biggest issues were wind and hail.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-27 044015-1774608059978.png">Hail the size of tennis balls fell in Mount Etna, Indiana, with quite a few more significant hail reports over the size of golf balls! Thankfully, the hail was nowhere near the size of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/destructive-tornadoes-hail-rip-through-central-us">record-breaking 6"+ hailstone that fell about two weeks ago</a>.<h1>Next Week's Storm Systems</h1>Cool and drier conditions are expected behind the front, but temperatures and humidity will recover quickly across the east through next week. Several weaker waves of low pressure will move through to start the week before a large trough moves off the Rockies late in the week, bringing back several ingredients needed for severe storms. Models remain uncertain about the exact timing and locations of the late-week severe weather, but heavy rain and strong storms will be possible. Check back for updates!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-27 044152-1774608384293.png">As the weak wave of low pressure moves through Monday night into Tuesday, severe storms will be possible around the Great Lakes. This threat will likely continue along the front into Tuesday afternoon from the Great Lakes down to Texas.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/PIC 2-1774710916738.jpg">Forecast Timing</h1>When the clipper system arrives on Tuesday, we are seeing some high confidence in intense thunderstorm activity. The severe threat could increase by late Monday into early Tuesday morning. Here is the latest forecast from our WeatherNation in-house forecast model.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/FORECAST-1774711097856.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The SPC has already highlighted areas from Iowa through Michigan for severe weather potential starting late in the evening on Monday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1774749924768.png">The CPC is highlighting a large area from the Great Lakes to the Lower Mississippi for heavy rain that could lead to flooding late in the week. Severe storms will be possible in the Plains, Midwest, and South as well.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1774641978910.png">While it's still a bit too early to determine locations and threats for this next event, climatology tells us where tornadoes are more likely heading into the month of April.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-27 044209-1774608399915.png">

Large Hail Hits the Midwest, Strong Storms Return Next Week

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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.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 174440-1774741498938.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 130839-1774724926213.png">On the heels of the largest fire in Nebraska's history, two additional fires broke out last Thursday morning. 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.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1774664322421.png">The Storm Prediction Center has also highlighted areas of elevated fire concern for Sunday. In fact, southeastern Wyoming has again been upgraded to a Level 2, Critical Risk. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 174600-1774741591441.png"> Keep it locked in on WeatherNation, as we continue to update you on these fires and their impacts!

Passing Fronts Increase Fire Danger

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Artemis 2 is finally ready to launch! After testing reveled a few issues in February and March, those issues have been resolved which has given the mission a go for launch in a window that opens Wednesday afternoon, April 1st. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 091928-1774711352235.png">What is the Artemis program? To put it simply, it's the first step in a series of programs to humans to Mars, but first, Artemis aims to bring humans back the moon, establishing a base while testing humanity's ability to live outside of Earth's orbit.<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 before low-earth orbit, and likely farther from earth than any human has traveled before.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-28 092338-1774711751704.png">When it comes to launch day, the forecast is critical. Florida will likely have some pop-up showers, but it's a bit too early to determine if any thunderstorms could be in the area. Lightning poses a major issue and does frequently cause delays in Central Florida, but even a building cumulus field can cause launch issues.

Artemis 2 Set To Launch Wednesday, Watching the Forecast

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Top Image Credit: National Parks Service<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8V6xqwukzO0" start="0"></iframe></div>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.<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!<h2>What is "peak bloom"?</h2>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">many types of cherry trees</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">about two to three weeks to reach peak</a> after the appearance of green buds. As buds begin to appear, the forecast peak date will be updated by National Park Service horticulturists.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-26 080844-1774534352362.png"><h2>Past Blooms</h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-06 080035-1772811048593.png"> Due to variable weather conditions, peak bloom has occurred as early as March 15th (1990) and as late as April 18th (1958).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">recorded all the way back to the 9th century</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/">late March through late April</a> from north to south across the nation.

PEAK BLOOM - Cherry Blossoms Emerge at the National Mall

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Originally born in Spokane, Washington,  Jackie's Dad was in the Air Force which led her to a life of travel. She has lived in Wichita, Okinawa, Japan, Baltimore, New Jersey, Indiana and South Carolina.  After graduating from Kadena High School, in Okinawa Japan, she got a full basketball scholarship to Coppin State College. On the court she was a 4-year starter and reached over 1000 points in her basketball career. She was also named Athlete of the Year for the whole university in 2002. Off the court, she earned a degree in Broadcast Production/English.

After college, she landed a job as a radio personality. Jackie went on to have a successful career for 12 years working at KXLY broadcast center. While on the radio, she decided to change career. Jackie went back to school, graduating from the Mississippi State Meteorology Broadcast Program. From snow, to tornadoes, to hurricanes, she has had experience forecasting all these events.

Jackie Brown

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Heavy rainfall from moisture that inundated the Hawaiian Islands late last week is on the move. It's being funneled around an area of high pressure, taking aim at the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, it won't be nearly as heavy or intense as what Hawaii faced.Related: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/flash-flood-emergency-for-oahu-additional-rain-expected-for-hawaii">Kona Low Recap</a>This round looks like it will be a little different than the previous round, which brought only rain to the area. Snow levels with this system will drop a bit, bringing a shot at some wintry impacts to the mountain passes.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-24 033707-1774345071882.png">An active Jetstream will bring more energy into the region on Tuesday. That's when you can expect the most widespread rain, with only scattered coverage from Wednesday onward.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/2026-03-24 03-38-07-1774345113637.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>There will be winds with this latest batch, with some of the mountain peaks expecting the worst of them. Sporadic power outages will be possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-24 033943-1774345194700.png">Make sure you're staying tuned to WeatherNation for your northwest forecast at :50 past the hour!

Pineapple Express Delivers Another Round of Rain

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Kevin Schneider

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After record shattering rain and hurricane force winds last weekend, Hawaii is already dealing with another strong low pressure system moving in from the west, known locally as a Kona Low.<h2>FRIDAY</h2>Catastrophic flash flooding unfolded overnight Thursday into Friday morning on the northern side of O'ahu, after 5-9 inches of rain fell from slow moving thunderstorms. As a result, a dam failure was possible but officials say that the dam is in good condition so far. More heavy rain is possible to change the status. Evacuation orders have been issued for Haleiwa and Waialua as intense flooding cut off roads and inundated low lying areas. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-23 042733-1774261661310.png">The heavy rain was created by an approaching Kona Low, which will keep the weather pattern rainy through the weekend.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-22 112518-1774200333277.png">The low is shifting east into this week, leading to sunnier conditions and a much-needed break from the rain.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/2026-03-22 11-27-05-1774200450759.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Rainfall totals could easily surpass 1-4 inches where thunderstorms train, or move over the same locations multiple times. Flooding will happen fast as the grounds are very saturated from the previous storms.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-22 044159-1774176130318.png"><h1>Previous System Record Rain &amp; Wind</h1>Rainfall totals from the previous system are almost unfathomable. Each island had at least one weather station record over 20 inches of rain with hurricane-force winds recorded as well. These intense conditions left the islands more prone for impacts from following storms.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-20 110451-1774026907445.png">

Powerful Kona Low Devastates Hawaii Over the Weekend

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I want to stress that this forecast is very far out and there will likely be some changes to the timing and snowfall amounts, but it's definitely worth watching.  Right now this scenario is for the weekend of January 20th and 21st.
<h2>Winter Storm Set-Up</h2>
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Long range forecast models are hinting at a large trough of low pressure moving through the southwestern United States by next weekend.  Based on how far south this trough goes, this could lead to a large winter storm for the Central Rockies.  The low pressure will provide the energy and there will be plenty of cold air in all layers of the atmosphere to produce heavy snow.
<h2>Snowfall Potential</h2>
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Here is the latest long range snow accumulation map with a focus on Colorado.  This is showing the possibility of over 12" of snow for parts of Fort Collins, Longmont and Denver.
<h2>Why Look at Forecasts So Far Out?</h2>
I always refer to these extended outlooks as "Keep and eye out" forecasts.  Now that I have seen forecast models showing the potential of a winter storm, it's something that we will keep an eye on over the next several days.  If forecast models continue to show this winter storm, that means we are growing more confidence in this particular forecast.  Stay tuned...

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MeteorologistPC/">Meteorologist Patrick Crawford</a>

Potential Winter Storm for the Central Rockies Next Weekend (Not This Weekend...Next Weekend)

Winter Storm Set-Up

Snowfall Potential

Why Look at Forecasts So Far Out?

Southwest Pattern Change Ahead

While much of the country, and in particular

Large Hail Hits the Midwest, Strong Storms Return Next Week

A strong cold front raced across the Midwest

Passing Fronts Increase Fire Danger

It's been unbearably hot across the West for

Artemis 2 Set To Launch Wednesday, Watching the Forecast

Artemis 2 is finally ready to launch! After t

PEAK BLOOM - Cherry Blossoms Emerge at the National Mall

Top Image Credit: National Parks ServiceSprin

Pineapple Express Delivers Another Round of Rain

Heavy rainfall from moisture that inundated t

Powerful Kona Low Devastates Hawaii Over the Weekend

After record shattering rain and hurricane fo