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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Tropical Storm Ophelia formed in the Atlantic Friday morning, off the coast of the Carolinas. Hurricane hunter aircraft flew through the storm and found sustained winds just shy of CAT1 hurricane strength Friday evening. Impacts don't change because of the name or category- Ophelia WILL bring gusty winds, storm surge, high surf, and torrential rain to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic this weekend.TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS are in effect for the Carolinas and Virginia through the weekend with a Hurricane Watch for very isolated portions of North Carolina. This is where winds could reach tropical storm strength of over 50 mph sustained with gusts higher. Widespread power outages aren't likely, but you may lose power if you're in a warning. Prepare by charging devices and reviewing generator safety if you intend to use one. <h2>Wind &amp; Surge</h2>Storm surge may reach 2-4' on the outer beaches during high tide and up to 6 feet near the Pamlico Sound. If you live right along the coast be sure to prepare your home for the seawater threat.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot 2023-09-22 170059-1695423846787.jpg">A Storm Surge warning is in effect from Surf City, North Carolina to Chincoteague, Virginia, and the for the Chesapeake Bay. Coastal flood advisories and warnings have been issued through the coast of New Jersey for the push of seawater moving on shore due to Ophelia's wind field. Please listen to your local officials and leave the area if asked to. Otherwise, move any fragile or important objects off the first floor of your home in the event there is flooding from storm surge.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/surge-1695405836174.jpg">Winds will gust in the range of 20-40 mph for inland communities and 30-50 mph for coastal areas. The wind will stir up the ocean and onshore flooding will create issues for barrier islands and east-facing beaches.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/9-22 RSE Ophelia winds-1695437599006.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>Rain/Flood</h2>Showers and storms will continue overnight, moving from the coast to inland areas as Ophelia gets closer to land. Saturday the heaviest rain will favor inland North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic. Ophelia will slowly nudge up the I-95 corridor, weakening as it moves into Appalachia. Even as a remnant low, it will bring rain and wind impacts Sunday and Monday to the Northeast.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/9-22 RSE ophelia rain-1695438781135.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Heavy rainfall could lead to flooding, especially for areas that are prone to flooding. This includes coastal communities along with inland areas (Raleigh, Virginia Beach, Atlantic City NJ, Washington DC, Baltimore). Upwards of 3" of rain already fell Friday in parts of North Carolina, and an additional 5" of rain is possible through the weekend as Ophelia makes its way up the Eastern Seaboard.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot 2023-09-22 170623-1695423990399.jpg"><h2>Severe Weather</h2>In addition to the flood threat, brief spin-up tornadoes are possible overnight and through much of Saturday. This is common with any tropical system as outer rainbands acquire some rotation from the natural spin of the low itself.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot 2023-09-22 170646-1695424032367.jpg">Overnight the threat is for SE Virginia and eastern North Carolina. The risk moves north into the Capitol Region and eastern Virginia on Saturday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/09-22 Tor Sat-1695385122880.jpg">Now is the time to think ahead for any weekend plans and potential impacts from rain, wind, and surf (if headed to the beach or live in a coastal community).

Ophelia Brings Tropical Storm Conditions to the East Coast

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After a stormy day Friday that produced big hail in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska, more heavy rain and storms are in the forecast for the High Plains this weekend. This rainfall is desperately needed - there is significant drought through eastern Nebraska, northern North Dakota and Iowa that has been worsening this summer under hot and dry conditions.This also comes with a severe weather threat with all severe weather hazards possible: damaging winds, quarter-size hail or larger, and tornadoes.Storms will be ongoing overnight and early Saturday morning, but look to reach severe limits in the afternoon or evening hours. There will be two areas of focus: One in the Dakotas around the area of low pressure and along the front, through the I-29 corridor. Storms will be possible in both of these locations but the severe weather threat will focus primarily around the front on Saturday. Rain and storms will persist late into the evening Saturday too. <video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/9-22 RNC Storms-1695437151184.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Although storms will lose some of their punch overnight, additional severe storms are possible in eastern Wyoming and western South Dakota overnight. There is some spin in the atmosphere in these areas, meaning a brief tornado is possible overnight along with the gusty straight line wind and very large hail (egg size or larger) threat. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/tor today-1695390452517.jpg">Due to the large nature of the system, much of the Plains highlighted with the severe storm risk on Saturday, from Minnesota through Texas. All severe weather hazards are possible, including the risk for egg-size hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. Please think ahead to your plans and make arrangements to be safe from severe weather.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/tornado sat-1695404589533.jpg">In addition to the severe storm threats, gusty winds not associated with thunderstorms will be present through the weekend. The strongest winds will be located near the surface low. As the low moves through, winds will increase ahead of it out of the south or southeast, and kick up behind the low after it passes out of the west or northwest.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/winds-1695129591287.jpg">

Stormy Weekend for Drought Stricken High Plains

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After a summer of mainly dry and super hot conditions, the times are changing for the central and southern Plains. Severe weather is in the forecast this weekend as an upper low and cold front work together to develop thunderstorms. In addition to severe weather threats, heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding is possible. especially through eastern Oklahoma. There is an ENHANCED outlook issued for Saturday for damaging winds through SE Kansas and northern Oklahoma. This is the area with the best environment to produce severe storms, including egg size hail (2" thick), 65 mph wind gusts, and tornadoes. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/spc sat-1695404473376.jpg">Showers and storms develop along a frontal boundary Saturday afternoon and evening in Oklahoma and Kansas. Large hail and tornadoes are our primary threats as these storms will be discrete, or individual in nature, with large updrafts to support rotation and hail development. However a brief tornado can't be ruled out, especially in northeast Oklahoma. Into Sunday the front pushes south, along with it the storm threat, moving into the DFW area with all severe weather hazards possible.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/9-22 RSC storms-1695439493606.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Much of north-central Texas is highlighted Sunday for severe weather potential, including the Dallas metroplex. Be prepared for multiple rounds of storms with damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes. Heavy rain and flooding is likely too, especially for areas east of I-35 in both Oklahoma and Texas.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/spc sunday-1695389685597.jpg">

Flood & Storm Risk this Weekend for Texas & Oklahoma

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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 - stereoscopic images provides a 3D view of the large, 170-foot (52-meter) boulder that juts from asteroid Bennu’s southern hemisphere and the rocky slopes that surround it (Credit: NASA, OSIRIS-REx Project) A first for NASA and space science is happening this weekend: the first ever asteroid samples collected in space are coming back to Earth on Sunday, September 24th. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will release a capsule with pieces of the asteroid Bennu over Earth on Sunday morning. The capsule is set to land in Utah and be retrieved by the OSIRIS-REx team. The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex">OSIRIS-REx</a> (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security – Regolith Explorer) project launched in September of 2016, putting a spacecraft on the asteroid Bennu to collect rocks and dust from the surface. The goal of the mission is to "investigate how planets formed and how life began, as well as improve our understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth" according to NASA. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/OSIRIS-REx_Touchdown_on_Bennu-1695312747690.gif">Captured on Oct. 20, 2020, during the OSIRIS-REx mission’s Touch-And-Go (TAG) sample collection event, this series of images shows the SamCam imager’s field of view as the NASA spacecraft approaches and touches down on asteroid Bennu’s surface. (credit: NASA)The samples collected from Bennu are from October 2020. According to NASA, the spacecraft collected enough samples in two days to start the journey back to Earth. During the departure, "OSIRIS-REx imaged Bennu for 5.9 hours, covering more than a full rotation of the asteroid. It flew within 2.1 miles (3.5 kilometers) of Bennu's surface". Despite moving at 600 mph, the journey back to Earth still took OSIRIS-REx roughly 2.5 years to make!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/bennuola1-1695313273805.gif">This three-dimensional view of asteroid Bennu was created by the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA), contributed by the Canadian Space Agency, on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. (credit: NASA)The spacecraft's next mission will take it into the orbit of the near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029. Apophis is about 1,200 feet in diameter and is expected to come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029. The asteroid is an "S-type", made up of Silica materials and is remnants of our early solar system. OSIRIS-REx is the third of four missions in NASA's New Frontier program to explore our solar system with medium sized spacecraft. Other missions in the program include: New Horizons (exploring Pluto since 2006), Juno (exploring Jupiter since 2011) and Dragonfly (Saturn's Moon Titan, set to launch in 2026). <div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O8R2hsoIgTc" start="0"></iframe></div>Per NASA, the capsule landing starts at 10 a.m. EDT (8 a.m. MDT) and will air on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nasa.gov/live">Watch here</a>. WeatherNation will bring you updates on the mission throughout the day on Sunday.

Happening this Weekend: Asteroid Samples Come Back to Earth

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ROCKIES - It's September in the Rockies and while some of us may be leaf-peeping, a taste of winter is knocking at our door. The National Weather Service has issued its first winter weather advisories for the northern Rockies of Montana and Bitterroots of Idaho. From 6,000 to 6,500 feet about 1-2" of wet snow can be expected. Above 7,500 feet between 2-5" of snow, and at the summits up to 10" are possible. This includes Glacier National Park. In addition to snowfall, winds over the Divide may gust as high as 45 mph which will lower visibility for travelers.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/snow-1695329702997.jpg">In addition to the chance of snowfall, much cooler air is expected across the Northwest as this incoming upper-level low swings through. Rain is expected at many lower elevations, and generally unsettled weather can be expected for the next few days. Rainfall may be heavy at times, so excessive rainfall outlooks have been issued through the start of the weekend.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-22 07-59-48-1695391216763.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>If you live in any of the areas and take a weather picture or video, be sure to tag us on X, Facebook, or Instagram @weathernation and we may feature your video!

More Snow for the Rockies

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Have the leaves started changing where you live? We are now into Meteorological Fall, with the Autumnal Equinox just around the corner. We will continue to notice the changing leaves in the coming weeks.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/PKG_092920_TRT 1.52_WHEN LEAVES CHANGE_ROB BRADLEY_CM_E092920-1694870877324.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>But why and how do leaves change color? It is due to Chlorophyll in the leaves decaying into the cooler weather of the season. We've still been quite warm so the changeover has been slow for many.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/why they change-1694871127699.jpg">In fact, the majority of the country (outside of mountains over 10k feet) hasn't dropped below freezing or close to it yet this fall - we are roughly two weeks behind schedule for the Rockies, Bitterroots, and Cascades which could be contributing to the slow to develop colors. The colder air is arriving though, which should speed up the color changes.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1704911375175393467" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1704911375175393467"></div><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/first freeze-1694871125678.jpg">Right now much of the fall foliage is seen in the Rockies where cooler air is starting to make an influence. We want to avoid a quick freeze though, as that could cause the leaves to wilt and die before they reach their true potential! Colors should start to explode in the coming days across Colorado when the Aspens turn. In addition, cooler air moving into the Northwest should create further color across the Cascades!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot 2023-09-21 211144-1695352314983.jpg">Have fall foliage photos to share? Tag us on social media @weathernation

Fall Forecast: Where Leaves Are Changing

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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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Severe storms will be likely across the Southern Plains today, with a level 2 risk across portions of Oklahoma and Texas (above). Not everyone will see severe weather, however, the storms that do meet the severe criteria will primarily consist of hail 1" in diameter or larger and gusts 60 mph or stronger. An isolated tornado is also possible from Dallas north across the Red River Valley.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/09-21 Tor-1695297460269.png">The first round looks to be the most intense into the early evening, followed by another round of intense storms in the early morning hours (mostly before dawn). Friday afternoon looks to quiet down before a large trough and frontal system move into the region Saturday which will likely lead to a line of intense storms around I-35 starting in the early afternoon.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-21 14-49-18-1695329397477.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Though no outlook by the Storm Prediction Center for Friday for severe storms, the risk for a couple stronger cells is still possible as shown above especially in the morning hours. Heavy rainfall will be possible, with the heaviest rain concentrated across the Red River Valley. Scattered flash flooding may occur in this area, especially Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2023/09/09-21 TX Rain-1695298045268.png">We will be tracking these storms live as part of our top weather headlines. Don't forget, you can get an update on the South Central Region anytime at :30 past the hour, or on demand in the WeatherNation app.

Tornado threat for Dallas, Additional Severe Storms in the Plains

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An area of low pressure will be moving out of the Pacific and bring strong winds and a fire weather risk to the Northwest.  The strong winds will also help push smoke around the region and could lead to air quality concerns for parts of Washington and Oregon.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-96216 size-full" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/08/7day3-15.jpg" alt="The Fire Weather Threat Continues Out West" width="1920" height="1080" />

Here is the latest timing of the low pressure system.  It should be over the High Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley by Friday afternoon.  So from now until then, as it moves across the northern U.S. it will provide strong winds to help increase the fire danger.

Fire weather alerts have been issued for parts of Wyoming and Colorado for today and tomorrow.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-96217 size-full" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/08/7day2-17.jpg" alt="The Fire Weather Threat Continues Out West" width="1920" height="1080" />

This means that fires could start quickly and spread quickly in these areas.  Definitely be careful with anything outdoors that involves sparks or flames.  Here are some prevention tips when it comes to wildfires.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-96221 size-full" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/08/7day4-14.jpg" alt="The Fire Weather Threat Continues Out West" width="1920" height="1080" />

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Stay with <a href="https://media.weathernationtv.com/">WeatherNation</a> for the very latest on these wildfires.