Kevin Schneider

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CALIFORNIA - Tropical moisture is being directed towards California through the weekend, with intense amounts of rainfall in the forecast ahead. Unfortunately, this system comes in on the warm side, so snow levels will be high through the weekend before dropping Tuesday night.<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 starting this weekend but lasting through FRIDAY.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-21 081249-1766329976811.png"> This weekend into Tuesday morning is mostly about the rain, as snow levels will be too high to impact travel or where many people live. Heavy rain will continue almost non-stop until midday Monday. A brief break precedes another round that comes with colder temperatures Tuesday through Thursday.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/FORECAST-1766269962365.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The WPC has issued excessive rainfall outlooks for the next five days, with a MODERATE risk covering parts of I-80 on Sunday and Monday. This means that significant events of flash flooding will be possible, so take any warning seriously.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/2025-12-21 08-13-54-1766330069158.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><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 2025-12-21 081551-1766330166043.png">Winter storm watches will go into effect late Tuesday for most areas, however, the higher terrain of Toulumne 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 2025-12-21 081700-1766330228659.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 are expected to drop with temperatures toward the middle of the week, which could also slow down travel.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-20 081246-1766243653590.png">

Atmospheric River Brings Major Flood Potential to California

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Tracey Anthony

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Unseasonably warm temperatures continue to dominate much of the western and now south-central United States, as an area of high pressure keeps the jet stream north, helping to lock in the warm air.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Web 4-1766327340574.png">There was another day of record-breaking temperatures on Friday. The record warmth potential is expected to continue through this weekend. Here are some of the warm temperatures that broke records in Texas on Saturday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/pic6-1766272241807.png">The warm temperatures are bringing a spring-like feel to cities across the southwest. Denver and Albuquerque normally see highs in the 40s, but will be pushing well into the 60s and even 70s. 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.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/pic6-1766272685654.png">Here is a look at who can break records on Sunday:<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Web 5-1766327613391.png">As we look at the temperature trend for December 25th - 29th, there is strong confidence that a large portion of the country will be well above average.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Web 2-1766327643014.png"><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/2025-12-21 08-42-08-1766327836340.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Make sure to tune into WeatherNation :50 past the hour, every hour for your Western regional forecast.

Record Warmth looking to Roast Christmas Day

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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 2025-12-17 140808-1766005705355.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 2025-12-17 141243-1766005981387.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 2025-12-17 085846-1765987778263.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

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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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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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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It's been a cold start to the week for millions! Areas around the Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley took the most recent Arctic outbreak on the chin, with temperatures plummeting below zero in some instances. On Monday, as winds flipped out of the south, we began to thaw out and most of us are feeling either seasonable or above average by Wednesday. However......The Arctic air isn't getting shoved too far away. This week, we unlock another block of the cold stuff and slide it southward. The good news? It looks like it's not quite as brutal as the last shot.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/PIC 2-1766108303423.jpg">A system will emerge out of the Rockies again, moving into much warmer temperatures by Wednesday. How much rain/snow/mud will that system drop? Relate Article: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/rainy-system-to-move-over-snow">Sloppy System Moves into the Midwest</a>More importantly, the temperatures swinging on the other side of it will send another chill down the spine of the Heartland. Wednesday night will be the rudest, while Thursday night will likely be the coldest, but should see the winds subsiding. Bismarck, the usual poster child for nasty cold, will only top out in the single digits Thursday afternoon and Grand Forks will be near 20 below Friday AM.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Web 4-1766069713419.png">Like a trampoline, temperatures rebound the following day for most.

Returning Back to the Freezer This Week

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Smoke Continues to Plague United States

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Fires in the west are continuing to burn causing air quality concerns for the Northwest.

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Air quality alerts are in effect for Washington, Oregon, and Idaho through Wednesday. Some side of effects of the smoke include burning eyes, runny nose, and even aggravation of heart and lung diseases. Make sure to keep an eye on children, elderly, and people with respiratory illnesses. Also, make sure to limit outdoor activities over the next 48 hours. Conditions are expected to improve Wednesday night.

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These fires are not only affecting the west, though. A westerly wind is spreading the smoke towards the eastern half of the United States. Luckily, rain from the Dakotas to Texas has helped clear out much of the thick smoke. That rain will continue to spread east for the next 48 hours. This will help clear out some of the smoke from Minnesota to New York.

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For WeatherNation -Meteorologist <a href="https://media.weathernationtv.com/team/shelly-lindblade/">Shelly Lindblade</a>

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