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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<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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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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The Northern Tier of the country is no stranger to cold and Tuesday morning proved that with multiple record lows. Watertown, New York, saw a morning low of -18°. This beat out the old record of -16° in 2008. Temperatures rebounded quickly Wednesday and Thursday, but another shot of arctic air is on the way.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 110232-1765476183612.png"><h1>Another Blast Of Cold Air</h1>More dangerously cold weather expected at the end of the week and into the weekend. Temperatures will be 30° BELOW average for some, as this arctic air invades the Northern Plain and Northeast.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 110407-1765476286191.png">Low temperatures Friday through Sunday will drop below zero for many. Minneapolis on Sunday morning is expected to drop all the way to -16 degrees.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 184524-1765417544840.png">Cold air will continue to spill south and east by Monday, with many areas from the Great Lakes to the Appalachians down to the single digits or even below zero! These are the forecast temperatures WITHOUT the wind chill!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 110138-1765478591396.png">So what do temperatures look like when we include the wind? Awful. Wind chills -20 to -40° will be possible across much of the Upper-Midwest during the mornings this weekend.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/2025-12-11 11-45-18-1765478771725.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Stay warm and stay tuned to WeatherNation for the latest details. The good news: much of the country will be above average by mid to late December.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 184704-1765417632006.png">

Brutal Cold Returns to the Central & Eastern U.S. This Weekend

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NORTHWEST - A state of emergency is in effect for Washington State following intense rainfall leading to record breaking flooding along area rivers. <div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1999008867167125943" src="https://x.com/GovBobFerguson/status/1999008867167125943"></div>The entire Skagit River Valley (in the 100 year flood plain) was given the "GO" order to evacuate early Thursday morning as the Skagit River continues to swell in Major Flood stage.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 072834-1765463417963.png">The Skagit River is not alone in reaching major flood stage, or even an all-time high in river level. The Skokomish River and Nooksack (among others) are running incredibly high, inundating low lying areas in their flood plain. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 073505-1765463737803.png">Additional Rain</h1>A round of moderate to heavy rain will continue to push through on Thursday, before the jet stream drifts north with the rain Friday into Saturday. Another brief round of heavy showers looks to arrive late Saturday into early Sunday, but with much more modest rainfall totals.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/12-10_rnw_bams3k overnight-1765417272963.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Additional rainfall is expected to top 2-3 inches for the highest elevations through Sunday morning, which isn't likely to lead to rivers re-swelling into major flood stage over the weekend.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 074700-1765464477417.png">For more details, be sure to join us live and at :50 past the hour for your Western Regional forecast.

Historic River Flooding : Tens of Thousands Being Evacuated in Washington State

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Our next clipper system is moving through the Plains into the Midwest Thursday into Friday. Another system on its heels will deliver more snow to the region this weekend. With temperatures taking a bit of a break from intense cold with the first system, it will move through some warmer air, and that is leading to some freezing rain. The National Weather Service has issued winter alerts from Montana through the Ohio River Valley, with one county in South Dakota under an ice storm warning.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 070841-1765462134308.png">As is typical with clipper systems, snowfall totals are often on the lower end (1-3"), but sometimes the smaller totals lead to worse roads. In fact, 75% of accidents happen when there is less than 2" of snowfall, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Here's a look at our forecasted totals with snow and ice from the High Plains through the Midwest. As snow moves east of the Mississippi, totals look to increase as more moisture is pulled into the system. Illinois to Kentucky could see totals topping 3-6".<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 071108-1765462282971.png">Another round of snow falls almost in the same locations Friday night through the day Saturday. As we add in this next round of snow, totals through Sunday morning could top 6-10 inches from central Illinois through northern Kentucky.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-11 071115-1765462290130.png">The first system will quickly move farther south and east on Thursday, bringing snow across the Midwest throughout the day. Snow moves into Indiana and the Ohio Valley during the evening and overnight, tapering off throughout the morning on Friday. The next round of snow develops late Friday in the Dakotas before moving across the Midwest and Ohio Valley on Saturday.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/2025-12-11 07-13-42-1765462473228.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>For more information on this, be sure to join us on WeatherNation at :10 past the hour for your east regional and :30 past the hour for your central regional.

Next Round: More Snow for the Midwest, Ohio Valley

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Dave Holder

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Strong upper-level ridging off the coast of California is currently dominating the weather pattern, bringing widespread sunshine but also a lack of precipitation. The one exception is in the state's Central Valley, where locked-in fog has kept temperatures chilly and skies gray. More on that in a minute...<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 131930-1765398197848.png">High pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere means sinking, compressing air, and generally warmer temperatures. On Tuesday, multiple record high temperatures were set, including 84° in Anaheim! <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 132558-1765398582761.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 132733-1765398466041.png">High temperature records up and down the western third of the country could fall through the weekend, as the upper-level ridge is forecasted to stubbornly remain in place over the coming days! <h1>Tule Fog</h1>You may have noticed the persistent fog in the Central Valley, or even the much colder temperatures compared to the rest of the state. This fog is known as Tule (TOO-lee) Fog, and is somewhat common in the winter months. It's a radiational fog that occurs overnight, gets locked into the Central Valley (sometimes the Bay Area), and is beneficial to California's agricultural industry. However, with high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere not going anywhere lately, the Tule Fog has been incredibly persistent. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 134007-1765399214088.png">The fog is making a huge difference in temperatures! Early Wednesday afternoon, Bakersfield was sitting under gray skies and a temperature of 42°. At the same time, over the Grapevine and into the valleys, temperatures were pushing into the upper 80s with blue skies!

Alana Cameron

Record Warmth Out West, Except for California's Central Valley

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Brittany Lockley

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NORTHEAST - The northeastern U.S. is in for some wintry weather over the course of the week, with a couple of clipper systems dropping down from the northern Plains. The clippers continue with a fast-moving clipper system that will move out of the Upper Midwest and into the interior of the Northeast on Wednesday. This system will bring a brief but disruptive round of winter weather to several states. As the system pushes east, a wide swath of Winter Weather Advisories and Warnings is issued across the Interior Northeast and the higher elevations of the Appalachians. Snowfall totals across this region&nbsp;will range from 4 to 6 inches.&nbsp;<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/12-09_rne-1765403705611.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>One of the most significant impacts will come from a corridor of Blizzard Warnings in the Central Appalachians. In this region, snow accumulations of three to six inches combined with wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour will create dangerous whiteout conditions and severely reduced visibility. Travel will be extremely difficult to nearly impossible at times, as blowing snow-coated roads and obscured sight lines will be possible.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 040825-1765364957335.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 145530-1765403760115.png">Farther north, Snowfall totals will be even heavier in the snowbelts, where lake effect snowfall is expected to pick up throughout the week. Communities across the Tug Hill Plateau and the western Adirondacks can pick up up between 8 and 16 inches of snow, continuing an active stretch of winter weather for upstate New York.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-10 113556-1765391765064.png">Winds will be a problem for visibility late Wednesday into Thursday as the front moves through. Widespread 30-40 mph gusts are expected.Another clipper is forecast to track quickly behind it on Thursday, threatening parts of the Northern High Plains and the Ohio Valley with a mix of heavy snow and pockets of freezing rain. In anticipation, Winter Storm Watches are already issued in eastern Montana, signaling the potential for another round of hazardous travel and wintry disruptions.&nbsp;Be cautious because the air will turn cold later this week in places that receive rain from these clippers, while the roads remain wet, black ice could be a problem at the end of the week.

Blizzard Alerts Issued In West Virginia

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DENVER, CO - Denver saw its first significant snow this season earlier this week, with 6.5 inches reported downtown! The highest totals were reported in the higher elevations, with 11 inches recorded in Genesee.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-04 095720-1764867453909.png"><h1>Forecast Snow</h1>Further snow is in store for the Rocky Mountains as a frontal system dives in. Precipitation began in northern Utah Friday evening and will spread across Colorado overnight and into Saturday morning. Another round of snow is likely for the weekend with higher moisture content coming from the Northwest.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-05 202547-1764991557250.png"><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/rockieswnoww-1764991689293.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>With today's round and our late-week round, snowfall totals may reach upwards of a foot plus in the higher elevations.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-05 202838-1764991729249.png">This snowfall is more than welcome for some of the ski resorts in the Rockies. With not that many runs open, 12-15" in places like Steamboat Springs will make a difference.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-05 202904-1764991750430.png">Make sure to stay tuned to WeatherNation for the latest on snowfall totals across the front-range.

Overnight Snow for the Colorado Rockies

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https://youtu.be/i-_fIlQrrK8

Pea size, baseball size, even grapefruit size?

There are many everyday items that we can use to determine the best estimate of a hail stone.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-90381 size-full" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/04/hail-size-chart-pics.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="617" />

Courtesy: NOAA/National Weather Service

Pea size hail is ¼" in diameter and hail at ¾" is the width of a penny.

When hail is 1" in diameter, that’s the same size as a quarter and also when hail size is considered "severe" (or large enough to potentially cause damage).

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90382" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/04/quart-728x408.jpg" alt="" width="728" height="408" />

Some of the most destructive hail that falls measures at least 2" in diameter!

Tennis ball size is 2 ½", baseball size measures 2.75", tea cup size is 3", and softball size measures 4" in diameter.

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90383" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/04/weldon-1-728x408.jpg" alt="" width="728" height="408" />

Did you know hail can be even larger than that?

https://twitter.com/i/status/1258580136699420674

The biggest hailstone ever recorded was near Vivian, South Dakota in 2010, coming in at 8” in diameter!

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90384" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2018/04/viv-2-728x408.jpg" alt="" width="728" height="408" />

Just remember -- before you go outside to measure the size of hail that fell in your backyard, wait until the storm has moved far enough away so you can safely make your observation.

For WeatherNation, I’m <a href="https://media.weathernationtv.com/team/meredith-garofalo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meteorologist Meredith Garofalo</a>

Understanding Hail Size

End of Year Travel Expected to Break Records

As 2025 comes to an end, many people are expe

Brutal Cold Returns to the Central & Eastern U.S. This Weekend

The Northern Tier of the country is no strang

Historic River Flooding : Tens of Thousands Being Evacuated in Washington State

NORTHWEST - A state of emergency is in effect

Next Round: More Snow for the Midwest, Ohio Valley

Our next clipper system is moving through the

Record Warmth Out West, Except for California's Central Valley

Strong upper-level ridging off the coast of C

Blizzard Alerts Issued In West Virginia

NORTHEAST - The northeastern U.S. is in for s

Overnight Snow for the Colorado Rockies

DENVER, CO - Denver saw its first significant