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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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<p>Energy and moisture move along a cold front into the Southeast on Friday. A <strong>marginal threat</strong> (level 1 out of 5) of severe weather is sprawled across the southeast from central Alabama into the Carolinas with damaging winds the main threat. Severe storms will mostly hold off until the afternoon when the weak cold front can tap into above-average temperatures. However, a few storms could certainly reach severe criteria before noon.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-19 11-40-05-1713548432059.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>Once our cold front pushes offshore, we won't be done with storms for the weekend. Energy arriving from Texas will produce heavy rain through the Deep South in two rounds. The first push of storms arrives Saturday afternoon and evening with another round of moisture, and cooler air, on Sunday.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-19 07-55-16-1713535235708.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>With our opportunity for storms on Sunday comes another opportunity for severe storms for southern Georgia and SE Alabama along with southeast South Carolina. The primary threat will be gusty winds. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/spc sat-1713548266917.jpg">The bulk of this energy will head offshore by late Friday, but another round of storms is possible late Saturday into Sunday. As the final round of showers moves through on Sunday, temperatures will drop dramatically!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-19 062554-1713530137832.png"></p>

Kara James

Storms in the Southeast Friday, More this Weekend

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<p>We're looking at a wet end of the week for the Lone Star State with 3-4" possible. Parts of West Texas suffering from extreme and severe drought conditions could use the rain. Rain can offset the dry conditions and help alleviate the fire concerns that crop up any time the wind does.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/tx rain-1713536188206.jpg">An upper-level trough enters the picture through Saturday. At the surface, a stationary boundary will be in place to help focus that energy into showers and thunderstorms.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-18 11-38-17-1713462125923.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>A few showers form on Friday during the day but the heaviest rain develops overnight into Saturday along the Red River Valley. We will see the steady rain continue along and north of I-20 throughout the day on Saturday before our frontal boundary gets shoved east and brings rainfall and strong storms to I-35 and I-45 Saturday evening and the first part of the overnight. Have some indoor backup weekend plans ready.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-19 08-08-50-1713535975374.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>Some storms will reach severe criteria in central and south Texas, where the Storm Prediction Center has issued a <strong>MARGINAL</strong>, low-end severe weather risk.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/spc sat tx-1713548479671.jpg"></p><p>Cloud cover and rain will aid our temperatures in staying cool - highs in Dallas will be about 15° below normal, with a similar fate for Little Rock and Houston.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/south temps-1713446857195.jpg"></p>

Wet and Cool Weekend in the Lone Star State

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<p>Late Spring snow is falling in Colorado and will continue through the start of the weekend. Snow in April isn't unheard of in Colorado and the Front Range, so this isn't all that uncommon but it still may be a shock to the system! Showers and snow showers continue throughout the day on Friday and into the evening hours. A brief lull in the activity is anticipated for another round of snow and rain showers on Saturday afternoon and evening before the low-pressure system responsible for the wet weather pushes into the Plains. </p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-19 11-42-12-1713548596482.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>Snowfall totals will be highest for the Front Range of Colorado outside of Denver where up to a foot is possible. A light coating is possible north of Colorado Springs into the Denver area. May ski resorts in Colorado including Steamboat, Aspen, Vail and Winter Park are all closing this weekend so this last push of snow will be welcomed if you're hitting the slopes!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/cosnowjpg-1713548575412.jpeg">Temperatures will sesaw over the next few days with cold temperatures on Friday and Saturday before warming back up into Sunday. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/temps front range-1713548588375.jpg">Stay with WeatherNation for the latest on the snow forecast. </p>

Late Spring Snow in Colorado

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Brittany Lockley

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<p>Colder air has arrived in the High Plains thanks to an upper-level low dragging in colder Canadian air south into the Midwest. Temperatures dropped into the 30s overnight for many in Iowa, and Minnesota, and even the 20s for the Dakotas. On Friday morning, there were freeze and frost advisories in effect!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/lows since midnight-1713535454156.jpg">This cooler air will persist through the weekend.&nbsp;The cooler air also impacts the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/wet-weekend-in-the-lone-star-state"><strong><em><u>southern Plains</u></em></strong></a>, along with bringing showers and storms.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-19 070317-1713531839427.png">Typically the last freeze of the season is mid-April for areas in the central Plains, Texas Panhandle, and Appalachia. Do not be surprised if there are a few more cold nights ahead in the Plains before we hit our summer stride.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/last freeze-1713364391394.jpg">High temperatures will be cooler as well, especially on Friday and Saturday when temperatures only manage the 40s and 50s. Even though this is not brutally cold for this time of year, it is still cooler than recent days.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-19 070330-1713531861265.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot 2024-04-19 070340-1713531870887.png"></p>

Frosty Start Friday Morning in the Plains

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<p>National Park Week starts April 20th and runs through April 28th, and is a week to celebrate the over <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm"><strong><em><u>400 National Parks</u></em></strong></a>! Entrance fees will be waived on Saturday, April 20th for all parks. Throughout the week, parks will host events to highlight the unique nature of the parks, how you can volunteer, and the innovation happening across the country. National Park Week also encompasses Earth Day, on Monday, April 22nd.</p><p>At WeatherNation we spoke to some of the most popular, and lesser-known, national parks across the U.S. and highlighted them in our "Get Out and Explore" series.</p><h2>Catoctin Mountain Park (Maryland)</h2><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">This mountain park sits near the hustle and bustle of East Coast cities such as D.C. and Philly and allows people to explore the great outdoors and reconnect with nature. The heavily forested park offers hiking, camping, stargazing, and more. If you look closely you might even find old whiskey and moonshine stills during the prohibition period.&nbsp;</span></p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W9VRUt93epc" start="0"></iframe></div><h2>Death Valley National Park (California)</h2><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Home of extreme weather, this park is known for canyons, salt flats, and North America’s lowest point. &nbsp;</span></p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4d1AmHZQRw8?si=-FBI8TOpXtvw7zoz" start="0"></iframe></div><h2>Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Alaska)</h2><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Lake Clark in Alaska sits about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage and is only accessible via small plane. This park boasts incredible wildlife and views as well as some of Alaska’s extreme weather.&nbsp;</span></p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U3IM3w8M1Yc?si=i22NXFs0uVL_TX3y" start="0"></iframe></div><h2>Lava Beds National Park (N. California)</h2><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Sitting just south of Oregon, Lava Beds National Monument is surrounded by volcanos. Visitors can explore lava tubes ranging in difficulty from easy to expert. This gives people a chance to explore the “volcanic plumbing” of the region. &nbsp;</span></p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6c0aGmAgC38?si=BPzHjKS7iBSK5K3X" start="0"></iframe></div><h2>Black Canyon of the Gunnison N.P. (Colorado)</h2><p><span style="color: inherit">Black Canyon of the Gunnison is the steepest and narrowest canyon of the entire U.S. and sits in Southwest Colorado. The canyon provides intense changes in temperatures and is impacted by monsoon season during the summer months.&nbsp;</span></p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/getko7k6xv8?si=FBWTTOSZJH-3EkeR" start="0"></iframe></div><h2>Badlands National Park (South Dakota)</h2><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">An “undiscovered gem” in the national park system, Badlands offers landscapes, wildlife, and spectacular stargazing. NPS recommends spending at least some time in the park at night to fully experience another side of the park.&nbsp;</span></p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qbXfbFmDko0?si=V71zMdVtyCkH_o9K" start="0"></iframe></div><h2>Manassas National Battlefield Park (Virginia)</h2><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">History lovers will love taking a trip to Manassas National Battlefield Park. Home of two major civil war battles, the park has acres of walking tours to explore a piece of American history.&nbsp;</span></p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cTg1gYAD1o8?si=nn75R3h1z054AFxh" start="0"></iframe></div><h2>Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site (New Hampshire)</h2><p>Check out the only national park dedicated to a sculpture! It doesn't open until May so mark your calendars for next month. </p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xlEEJRl0d_w?si=yPubZ3-sANBW6iiQ" start="0"></iframe></div><h2></h2>

National Park Week: Get Out and Explore

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Kevin Schneider

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<p>It’s the soundtrack to the summer. Nature’s noisemakers are set to return in a <em>big</em> way this year as not one, but <em>two</em> sets of periodical cicadas will emerge in the Midwest and Southeast. It is the first time these two specific broods have surfaced <em>together</em> since 1803! This is the first time since 2015 that a 13 year cycle brood emerges at the same year as a 17 year brood.</p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o5jJPrP5rfE" start="0"></iframe></div><p></p><p>The southern brood emerges every 13 years and is known as the <strong>Brood XIX, </strong>the largest brood in the U.S.. The Northern Illinois brood has a period of 17 years, making these two broods overlap uncommon. They will only overlap in central Illinois, where is expected to be the noisest!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Closer look at Illinois locations overlap.mp4_snapshot_00.01.232-1713196589008.jpg"></p><blockquote><p>Katie Dana, a researcher with the Illinois Natural History Survey who studies the cicadas says, “We have broods emerging across the U.S. almost every year, but we don’t often have broods emerging at the same time. Just like how birds have different songs, cicadas have different songs...we have over 3,000 different species of cicadas so we have so many different songs.”</p></blockquote><p>Periodical Cicadas are large, loud insects with bright red eyes. They live underground for years. Once the cicadas take to the skies, they will be in the air for about 3-4 weeks, mating before laying eggs and reburying themselves for another 13 or 17 years.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Slow zoom east coast brood locations.mp4_snapshot_00.06.391-1713196589005.jpg">Depending on where you live, the double brood emergence could start as soon as April but will happen whenever the ground temperatures reach 64°. According to Katie, “It’s those warm soils that push them out of the ground, but they’re also looking for some moisture. If you have really dry soil, it’s going to make it hard for them to dig out.” Given that we've had some of our warmest winters on record in the Midwest we are looking at the opportunity for earlier emergence of the broods.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Warmest Winter on Record.mp4_snapshot_00.05.538-1713196589007.jpg">If you’re less than thrilled about these beaty-eyed bugs, focus on the positives. They provide extra nutrition for birds and animals and spark a reset for oak trees allowing them to produce more acorns a few years after they emerge. If that’s not enough to get you through... the next time these two broods will be out at the same time won't be for another 221 years, which will give you plenty of time to learn to appreciate the cicada screams.</p>

Double Trouble: Cicadas Take to the Skies this Spring

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<p>It has been a busy week as severe weather ripped through the Great Plains, causing several tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio. Another storm system fired up a new round of severe storms Thursday from Illinois through Texas, including a line of tornado-warned storms in St. Louis, MO.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1781092373797151114" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1781092373797151114"></div><p>Large hail and tornadoes were the focus of the northern severe weather threat, impacting Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana through late Thursday night. There were reports of large hail and wind around the Kansas City and St. Louis metros. </p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/pic3png-1713495626310.png">Large hail was caught on camera in central Missouri on Thursday afternoon too as strong storms rolled in. </p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1781299210027237645" src="https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1781299210027237645"></div><p>Strong storms also produced damaging winds and tornadoes for Mississippi and northern Alabama on Thursday night. </p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/04/VO_041824_RSE_ROLLING FORK,MS_TERRIFIC SHOT OF A HAIL CORE IN THE EASTERN MS REGION_WHATSAPP_BRANDON CLEMENT_DO_E041924-1713533366773.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

More Tornadoes and Severe Weather in the Midwest

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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" />

<em>Courtesy: NOAA/National Weather Service</em>

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

Storms in the Southeast Friday, More this Weekend

Energy and moisture move along a cold front i

Wet and Cool Weekend in the Lone Star State

We're looking at a wet end of the week for th

Late Spring Snow in Colorado

Late Spring snow is falling in Colorado and w

Frosty Start Friday Morning in the Plains

Colder air has arrived in the High Plains tha

National Park Week: Get Out and Explore

National Park Week starts April 20th and runs

Double Trouble: Cicadas Take to the Skies this Spring

It’s the soundtrack to the summer. Nature’s n

More Tornadoes and Severe Weather in the Midwest

It has been a busy week as severe weather rip