Kevin Schneider

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CALIFORNIA - Tropical moisture is being directed towards California with intense amounts of rainfall in the forecast ahead. Unfortunately, this system comes in on the warm side, so snow levels will be high before dropping Tuesday night. With mostly rain falling in many spots, some areas have really piled it up.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-23 041008-1766488241754.png"><h1>Rain &amp; Flooding</h1>Over the next week, a foot or more of rain is forecast to fall over the Central and Northern Sierra, which is likely to lead to significant flooding issues, especially Sunday into Monday. Flood watches have been issued for the remainder of the week and are in effect until Friday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-23 040930-1766488195351.png"> Once this front moves onshore, temperatures should cool enough to see snow start in the Sierra Nevada. A reinforcing front moves in Wednesday to keep the air cool and rain flowing.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/12-22 rsw '-1766450165001.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>This rainfall will move down to Southern California by Christmas Eve. This will bring with it potentially life-threatening flooding, especially around area burn scars. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 143504-1766439311591.png">The WPC has issued excessive rainfall outlooks for the next five days, including a HIGH risk on Wednesday in southern California. This means that significant events of flash flooding will be possible, so take any warning seriously. Some evacuation warnings have been put in place by local officials. <video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/2025-12-23 04-12-47-1766488392514.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>As if potentially dangerous flooding was enough, some of these heavy downpour could have embedded severe characteristics. Damaging winds will be the greatest concern, but an isolated tornado can't be ruled out. The Storm Prediction Center is highlighting coastal areas along with the central valley on Christmas Eve, and favoring the southern California area on Christmas Day<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-23 041352-1766488548738.png"><h1>Snow</h1>Heavy snow will accumulate over the high terrain, and eventually down to around 5,000 feet in elevation by the middle/end of the week. Snow through Tuesday is heavy above 8-9,000 feet, with over a foot for some locations.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 111928-1766427590011.png">Traveling over I-80 in the days ahead? Flooding is likely to be a bigger issue than snow, though the overnight hours may see some wet snowfall. Snow levels will drop with temperatures toward the middle of the week, which will also slow down travel. Winter storm watches will go into effect late Monday for some areas; however, the higher terrain of Tuolumne County (including Yosemite NP) has a winter storm warning already in effect. 6-8 feet of snow are expected.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-23 041608-1766488576491.png">

Dangerous Flooding Moves into Southern California

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Unseasonably warm temperatures continue to dominate much of the western and central United States, as an area of high pressure keeps the jet stream north, helping to lock in the warm air. On Monday, record-high temperatures fell across the country, with some ALL-TIME&nbsp;December records also&nbsp;falling in North Platte, Broken Bow, and Valentine, Nebraska.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 172648-1766449724148.png"> Some records also fell in Texas on Monday, including a toasty Brownsville, which tied the record of 87° for December 22nd. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 172654-1766449822370.png">The potential for records to fall this week continues to multiply across the country with many locations in the central U.S&gt; expected to break record highs on Christmas Day. Many of these spots will be running 20 to 30 degrees above average.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/2025-12-22 07-08-46-1766412615922.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>This ridge of high pressure will continue to keep the warm temperatures around, heading towards the Christmas Holidays, but shifting farther east into Texas and Oklahoma.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 172719-1766449960297.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 172711-1766449965168.png">WHEN WILL IT STOP</h1>As we look at the temperature trend for December 28th to January 1st, there is strong confidence that a large portion of the country will be well above average. Until we shake the remnants of the ridge causing the warm weather, it will continue to be above average; it's just a matter of where.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 173252-1766449978655.png">However, there is a system slated to drop in Saturday into Sunday. This one will open the door for another shot of cold air. On first glance, it looks like temperatures will only dip to seasonal norms. But a 30 drop will be noticeable! <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-23 042606-1766489176561.png">

Santa's Breaking Out the Shorts!

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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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NORTHEAST: The northeastern United States is in for a few quick-moving clipper systems this week, leading up to Christmas. These systems could bring minor travel impacts, especially on Tuesday. A fast-moving clipper is forecast to move through Tuesday, bringing rain near the Great Lakes and snow farther inland. Here’s a look at our forecast models and the timing of this system.Several winter alerts are in place across the northeast.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Web 1-1766499063383.png"><h3></h3>As we head toward Christmas, travelers along the eastern I-84 corridor and parts of the I-95 may encounter a mix of rain and snow.<h1>Boston Area</h1>In the Boston area, there are two rounds of potential wintry weather, one on Tuesday morning and another on Tuesday evening. Temperatures will be borderline, hovering right around freezing.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 195726-1766458681816.png">Snowfall totals are also expected to remain light as we head toward Christmas Eve.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 195711-1766458755637.png"><h1>Maine</h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Web 2-1766499324207.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Web 4-1766499344880.png">For more details on these fast-moving systems and the duration, be sure to join us on WeatherNation at :10 past the hour for your east regional forecast.

Tracey Anthony

Brief Snow Before Christmas in the Northeast

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Does it feel like deja vu? This persistent pattern, locked in for most of December, has some side effects. No snow for the west! While areas around the Midwest are experiencing their snowiest start to the Winter in years, areas out west are looking at their slowest start to the water year.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-17 090611-1765987589484.png">Take, for instance, the Pacific Northwest. They've been seeing the worst of both patterns: warm systems that bring inundating rainfall to the area, without the benefits of slow-melting snowfall, keeping watersheds fed with a much-needed, consistent water source.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-21 141153-1766351518447.png">Other areas like Colorado have seen a fairly soggy past month, but got off to one of the latest starts to winter on record in Denver. Similarly, like the northwest was struggling, any shot at moisture fell at once, as rain.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-21 141214-1766351538721.png">All of this information comes from the National Integrated Drought Information System, an offshoot of NOAA<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nwcc-apps.sc.egov.usda.gov/imap/#version=2&amp;elements=&amp;networks=!&amp;states=!&amp;basins=!&amp;hucs=&amp;minElevation=&amp;maxElevation=&amp;elementSelectType=any&amp;activeOnly=true&amp;activeForecastPointsOnly=true&amp;hucLabels=false&amp;hucIdLabels=false&amp;hucParameterLabels=true&amp;stationLabels=&amp;overlays=&amp;hucOverlays=state&amp;basinOpacity=100&amp;basinNoDataOpacity=100&amp;basemapOpacity=100&amp;maskOpacity=0&amp;mode=data&amp;openSections=dataElement,parameter,date,basin,options,elements,location,networks,baseMaps,overlays,labels&amp;controlsOpen=true&amp;popup=&amp;popupMulti=&amp;popupBasin=&amp;base=esriWgc&amp;displayType=basin&amp;basinType=6&amp;dataElement=WTEQ&amp;depth=-8&amp;parameter=PCTMED&amp;frequency=DAILY&amp;duration=I&amp;customDuration=&amp;dayPart=E&amp;monthPart=E&amp;forecastPubDay=1&amp;forecastExceedance=50&amp;useMixedPast=true&amp;seqColor=2&amp;divColor=7&amp;scaleType=D&amp;scaleMin=&amp;scaleMax=&amp;referencePeriodType=POR&amp;referenceBegin=1991&amp;referenceEnd=2020&amp;minimumYears=20&amp;hucAssociations=true&amp;relativeDate=-4&amp;lat=41.191&amp;lon=-108.971&amp;zoom=5.5">Interactive Map at this link here</a><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-21 141238-1766351564715.png">So what would help? A breakdown of the pattern would be a great place to start, with some signs that we might get some help. As the jet stream dips into the holiday week, confidence is growing in heavy rain targeting California

Alana Cameron

West Facing Record Low Snow Levels

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WeatherNation Meteorologists

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<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GtdF4xLBGXc" start="0"></iframe></div>As 2025 comes to an end, many people are expected to travel for the holiday season. AAA expects an increase in travelers compared to last year, 2024. The forecast calls for 119.7 million travelers, which is a 2.2% increase from 2024.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 151722-1765405796099.png">Traveling by car is the favorite for the holidays. AAA notes gas prices, on average, are also down in comparison to 2024.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 151733-1765406300348.png">Air travel is also up since 2024 by 2.3%. AAA expects 8.03 million people to be traveling to their destinations for the holidays via airplane. This will be the first time air travel for the year end holiday will exceed 8 million.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 151738-1765406099314.png">All other travel has also gone up by 9% since last year. This includes cruises, bus travel, and travel by train.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 151743-1765406410699.png">The top 10 destinations domestically are as follows:<ol><li>Orlando, FL</li><li>Fort Lauderdale, FL</li><li>Miami, FL</li><li>Anaheim/Los Angeles, CA</li><li>Honolulu, HI</li><li>Tampa, FL</li><li>New York City, NY</li><li>Maui, HI</li><li>Dallas/Fort Worth, TX</li><li>Las Vegas, NV</li></ol>For those major destinations, below are the busiest travel times.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 151754-1765406540451.png">More more information on the AAA travel forecast, including details on best and worst travel times: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/12/aaa-year-end-holiday-travel-forecast/">Year-End Holiday Travel Expected to Set New Record</a>.

Patrick Crawford

End of Year Travel Expected to Break Records

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WEST - A river of moisture has been directed towards the western United States for the last week, bringing record rainfall, historic river flooding, and damage to homes and property. While this river will shift to California through some of the early weekend, we're still not out of the woods in the Pacific Northwest.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2001283739846906166" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2001283739846906166"></div><h1>Forecast Timing</h1>Moving forward, the heaviest of the rain will be focused in on California. However, our northwestern mountains will be stuck in the clouds so we can expect heavy snowfall totals to start to accumulate. Most of these systems have been seeing warm moisture as opposed to cold moisture, so snow levels have been quite high. With the cooler Pacific air behind the system, it should be could enough to keep accumulating snowfall.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/FORECAST-1766193036916.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>As snow levels drop, winter weather will complete the trifecta of weather hazards with this system. Some winter alerts continue through the weekend.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/PIC 2-1766193079854.jpg"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-19 114448-1766170540680.png">Rainfall totals have surpassed 7-8 inches already, with more on the way. The heaviest of the rain looks to line up farther south, aiming at Oregon and northern California.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-17 183807-1766021892377.png">Additional rounds of heavy rain and snow are expected into the week. We won't have a lot of new snow when temperatures begin to drop.Through Christmas, the Climate Prediction Center has a higher confidence that conditions will stay wetter than normal.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-17 183826-1766021911839.png">For more details, be sure to join us live at :50 past the hour for your Western Regional forecast.

ATMOSPHERIC RIVER: Winds Topping 100 MPH In the Northwest

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Dave Holder

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As wind intensifies once again across the Front Range with a dry, downsloping wind, fire weather conditions have dramatically increased. In fact, the Storm Prediction Center has issued a somewhat rare Critical Fire Risk from Boulder to Cheyenne (above).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-19 123816-1766173281347.png">Red Flag Warnings will remain in place across the Denver metro area, northward into the High Plains of Wyoming, for the rest of the night.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-19 123131-1766173410757.png"><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YPs_4Hc38Ok" start="0"></iframe></div>In addition, within the Red Flag Warning is a higher-end, PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) Warning. Here, to the west of a line from Golden to Boulder to Lyons, wind gusts could exceed 100mph! With down-sloping winds, relative humidity will be low, possibly dropping into the single digits at times.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-19 123825-1766173570820.png">Enhancing the wildfire potential is the amount of fuel. The Front Range of northern Colorado into Wyoming has been very dry as of late. A Moderate to Severe Drought remains highlighted across the entire Red Flag Warning area.

Extreme Critical Fire Risk in Colorado Friday

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Saturday brings a chance for severe storms to the Rockies and areas east. A trough of low pressure churns up moisture, feeding up from the Gulf, bringing chances for strong storms and hail to the front range and eventually to the central U.S. this weekend.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-95639 size-large" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/08/1-16-728x408.jpg" alt="Severe Storm Chances, More Hail Likely for the Rockies" width="728" height="408" />

Storms fire up along the trough of low pressure starting early in the afternoon. Damaging hail, gusty winds and heavy rain are all threats Saturday in the highlighted area below.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-95641 size-large" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/08/3-15-728x408.jpg" alt="Severe Storm Chances, More Hail Likely for the Rockies" width="728" height="408" />

Low pressure pushes east for the tail end of the weekend and so does the threat for severe storms. The best chance for strong storms will be over Oklahoma and Arkansas.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-95640 size-large" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/08/2-15-728x408.jpg" alt="Severe Storm Chances, More Hail Likely for the Rockies" width="728" height="408" /> <img class="alignnone wp-image-95642 size-large" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/08/4-14-728x408.jpg" alt="Severe Storm Chances, More Hail Likely for the Rockies" width="728" height="408" />

For Weather Nation: Meteorologist <a href="https://media.weathernationtv.com/team/emily-roehler/">Emily Roehler</a>