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.<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 2025-12-21 141344-1766351636076.png"> As we head into Tuesday, we'll be awaiting our cold front. 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. <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. Of particular concern will be the burn scars around Los Angeles, where heavy rainfall will run off even faster.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/12-22 rsw eros-1766450480768.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Here's a look at where the high risk is, impacting a large number of people who may be traveling this holiday season.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 172615-1766450491234.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 2025-12-22 112006-1766427629234.png">

Alana Cameron

Atmospheric River Brings Major Flood Potential to California

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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.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/12-22_rne-1766458624623.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Several winter alerts are in place across the northeast.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 165654-1766447823317.png"><h3>NYC and Philly Area</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.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 105718-1766426263151.png"> In terms of accumulation, our in-house model is showing generally a trace to a couple of inches of snowfall.<h3><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot 2025-12-22 195717-1766458664279.png">Boston Area</h3>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">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.

Brief Snow Before Christmas in the Northeast

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Originally born in Spokane, Washington,  Jackie's Dad was in the Air Force which led her to a life of travel. She has lived in Wichita, Okinawa, Japan, Baltimore, New Jersey, Indiana and South Carolina.  After graduating from Kadena High School, in Okinawa Japan, she got a full basketball scholarship to Coppin State College. On the court she was a 4-year starter and reached over 1000 points in her basketball career. She was also named Athlete of the Year for the whole university in 2002. Off the court, she earned a degree in Broadcast Production/English.

After college, she landed a job as a radio personality. Jackie went on to have a successful career for 12 years working at KXLY broadcast center. While on the radio, she decided to change career. Jackie went back to school, graduating from the Mississippi State Meteorology Broadcast Program. From snow, to tornadoes, to hurricanes, she has had experience forecasting all these events.

Jackie Brown

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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. On Monday, record high temperatures fell across the country, with even some ALL-TIME December records that happened 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 Brownsvill,e 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">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 2025-12-21 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

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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This week's Tip of the Week on WeatherNation with <a href="https://media.weathernationtv.com/team/john-van-pelt/">John Van Pelt</a> is all about staying safe when lightning is nearby.

In 2018, there were 20 lightning fatalities in the U.S.. 16 people died from lightning  the year prior in 2017, and a total of 40 deaths due to lightning in 2016, <a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-fatalities">according to NOAA and NCDC.</a>

So far in 2019, there have been no lightning related deaths...and we'd like to keep it that way.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-105776" src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2019/03/lightning-2.png" alt="" width="960" height="720" />

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Watch this week's Tip of the Week to learn more about how to stay safe when thunder roars.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS8Rqgs263Q

&nbsp;

Check in with WeatherNation each week to see our latest "tip of the week".

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WeatherNation is a proud <a href="https://www.weather.gov/wrn/about">WeatherReady ambassador</a>, helping communities prepare for extreme weather, water, and climate events.

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WATCH: Tip of the Week - Lightning Safety

Atmospheric River Brings Major Flood Potential to California

CALIFORNIA - Tropical moisture is being direc

Brief Snow Before Christmas in the Northeast

NORTHEAST: The northeastern United States is

Record Warmth looking to Roast Christmas Day

Unseasonably warm temperatures continue to do

West Facing Record Low Snow Levels

Does it feel like deja vu? This persistent pa

End of Year Travel Expected to Break Records

As 2025 comes to an end, many people are expe

ATMOSPHERIC RIVER: Winds Topping 100 MPH In the Northwest

WEST - A river of moisture has been directed

Extreme Critical Fire Risk in Colorado Friday

As wind intensifies once again across the Fro