WeatherNation Meteorologists

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Tropical Storm Helene formed earlier this morning in the northwestern Caribbean and has prompted preparations for the southeastern U.S., especially along the Big Bend of Florida where we expect this storm to make landfall as a category 3 hurricane. But it's important not to focus too heavily on the strength upon landfall because impacts such as heavy, flooding rainfall will be felt starting Wednesday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 175611-1727222241155.jpg">Helene looks to track fairly quickly as it moves inland, which means by Saturday the remnants of this will already be up in the Ohio Valley.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 175638-1727222441780.jpg">Impacts on the U.S.</h1>According to the NHC, Helene is expected to rapidly intensify and grow in size over the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The hazards include:<ul><li>Life-threatening storm surge</li><li>Hurricane-force winds in Florida's west coast and panhandle</li><li>Heavy rain and flooding</li><li>Embedded severe storms including tornadoes</li></ul><h2>Wind Forecast</h2>Tropical alerts have been issued for this system. The newest alerts that have been added to the roster include hurricane warnings (in red) for Florida's Big Bend and tropical storm watches (in yellow) farther inland into Georgia. and The watches mean tropical storm-force to hurricane-force winds can be expected in these areas in the next 48 hours. The warnings mean they can be expected in the next 24 to 36 hours.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 180029-1727222451646.jpg"><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/09-24_hirr forece winds-1727213072271.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h2>Surge Forecast</h2>The surge forecast has been upgraded significantly. The big bend of Florida could see up to 15 feet of storm surge. The Tampa Bay Area has the potential for 5-8 feet of surge. With multiple feet of inundation looking likely, when evacuations are ordered it's important to know what zone you live in. You can check it by heading here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://floridadisaster.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=aa18a2d8737c4d66bb6434a09e17203a">KNOW YOUR ZONE</a><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 152356-1727213051562.jpg"><h2>Rainfall Forecast</h2>The rainfall forecast for Cuba and the Cayman Islands has totals between 4" - 8" with isolated totals around 12". Over the southeastern U.S., the potential for 4"- 8" of rainfall with isolated totals around 12" is possible at this time.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 151823-1727212746830.jpg">The Weather Prediction Center has issued Excessive Rainfall Outlooks for the next 5 days in anticipation of flooding rainfall. There will be an increased risk of river flooding and landslides in the steep terrain of the southern Appalachians.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/09-24_wpc next 5 days-1727212758208.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The latest on the forecast has this system inching towards the big bend coastline by Thursday afternoon. Impacts will start to be felt before then.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/0924-1727174478020.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Forecasts will become more certain in the next few days, so be sure to check back at least once daily for an update!

Alana Cameron

Tropical Storm Helene Prompts Hurricane Warnings for Florida

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Kevin Schneider

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A cold front draped across the country extending from Texas through the Great Lakes was the forcing mechanism that triggered thunderstorms on Sunday and Monday. As the frontal boundary moves east, more severe storms and some isolated flooding will be possible through the Ohio Valley.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/09-24 HRRR OVERNIGHT-1727224463464.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The Storm Prediction Center has issued a SLIGHT (level 2 out of 4) risk through tonight across portions of Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 154022-1727214104078.jpg">The main threat will be the potential for strong winds, above 58 mph. An isolated risk for tornadoes is also possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 154029-1727214112238.jpg">Some areas of the Ohio and Tennessee Valley will see localized heavy rainfall that may prompt ponding and flooding concerns, but the problem with this area of the country is Helene, a tropical system in the Gulf, will move into this area stalling out the front and bringing heavy to tropical downpours into the Southern Appalachians.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/09-24_WPC-1727224522441.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Stay tuned with WeatherNation for more details on the rating of the Indiana tornado and the latest severe weather forecast!

Storms Continue to Rumble Across the Midwest

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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - An intense thunderstorm tore through OKC earlier Monday evening, producing large hail up to 2.75" in diameter in The Village. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 185004-1727225425393.jpg">The system responsible for this is a trough pushing through the state. The main threat with these storms will be the potential for large hailstones exceeding 1" in diameter. Severe winds above 58 mph will also be a threat.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 153614-1727213799183.jpg">The Storm Prediction Center highlights areas surrounding Oklahoma City south to Dallas, with a Slight Risk across the OKC metro. Damaging winds and large hail look to be the biggest concerns.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/09-24_bams-1727225525409.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Timing will favor the afternoon hours, but there is some uncertainty about how far south these will survive. Dallas could see these storms overnight - if they make it that far.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 135833-1727207917574.png">The good news? A reinforcing shot of cooler air will initially be what sparks the storms but will settle into parts of the southern plains. The result will be daytime highs settling back close to seasonal averages.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 135727-1727207857442.png">We might have some cooler weather in that extended forecast, we'll show you if that's in the cards in your Central Regional Forecast, at :30 past every hour!

Fast Moving Front Sparks Severe Chances Around the Red River Valley

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Tracey Anthony

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It is officially Fall! However, some out West feel like summer with record potential heat this week! Record high temperatures broke Tuesday in Phoenix and Yuma Arizona. Phoenix hit 108°, tying a previous record set back in 2002. Phoenix has been setting heat records all summer with a heat streak of 113 consecutive days at 100° or greater which ended on September 16th! Daytime highs were in the triple digits from May 27th until September 17th. After several days with highs in the 90s, Phoenix has returned to the triple digits for the first week of Fall thanks to a strong high-pressure center building in.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 145828-1727211518369.jpg">An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued for Phoenix and the rest of the desert Wednesday - Saturday. The foothills are expecting temperatures around 102° to 106° and lower desert locations will run slightly warmer, 105° to 110°.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 145900-1727211591632.jpg">For more details on the heat his week, catch your West Regional Forecast at :50 past every hour!

Running Hot for the First Week of Fall

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MEXICO - Major, category 3, Hurricane John officially made landfall as a category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. This happened near the city of Marquelia, Mexico along the southern coast of Mexico. Pressure was as low as 959 mb. The system is now a remnant low but will continue to produce coastal and inland hazards to southern Mexico.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1838420969070956611" src="https://x.com/NHC_Pacific/status/1838420969070956611"></div>Forecasted rainfall totals could reach 6-12" with isolated totals near 15" across the coast and 10-20" with isolated totals near 30" near the Oaxaca coast to southeast Guerrero.<h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-24 153929-1727213985027.jpg"> </h2>Stay with WeatherNation for the latest forecast on the tropics in the coming days.

CAT 3 Hurricane John Makes Landfall in South Coast of Mexico

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Pumpkin spice lattes are back at coffee shops, and the Halloween décor has popped into retail locations, which means fall is here. In fact, meteorological fall began on September 1st, and earlier on Sunday the Autumnal Equinox kicked off the astronomical season at 8:44 AM ET. Mother Nature heralds in the tell-tale signs that Autumn has arrived with the changing colors of the leaves.&nbsp;&nbsp;But forecasting the changing leaves is a difficult task with variables that can sometimes be difficult to track. &nbsp;Weather plays an important role in the timing of when leaves will change, and while some locations have seasonal averages for peak foliage, nature has the final say on when the brilliant colors will arrive.&nbsp;WHY LEAVES CHANGE COLOR:&nbsp;The change in season sparks the transformation within deciduous trees. Deciduous trees typically have large, broad leaves and use flowers to reproduce; think your oak and maple types. These trees get the deciduous classification from the Latin word “dēciduus” which means “to fall” because of their tendency to drop their leaves once they reach maturity. &nbsp;Coniferous trees are your evergreen trees. These trees tend to have needles or scales and reproduce using cones. Coniferous trees typically hold their needles year-round as they help with water conservation for the tree to continue producing food for itself during the long winter and summer months.&nbsp;Because of the deciduous tree's leaf shape, they are the ones that transform into brilliant plumes of color as the days get shorter. &nbsp;So, what’s sparking the change?&nbsp;According to the Smithsonian, in fall, the days start getting shorter, meaning less sunlight, and in turn, cooler temperatures. This signals the trees to end their food making process. The chlorophyll within the leaves that helps conduct photosynthesis begins to fade allowing other chemicals within the leaves to shine. &nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot 2024-08-28 135520-1724874946511.png">WHAT DO FORECASTS LOOK FOR:&nbsp;“The ideal weather we’re looking for is sunny, warm afternoons, and clear, cold nights,” said Evan Fisher, the founder of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://ExploreFall.com">ExploreFall.com</a>. Too much drought or rain can vastly impact the colors produced by the trees. &nbsp;&nbsp;Heat can induce stress on the trees and allow them to show color early. Fisher said maples are susceptible to stress, such as a warm summer, like many along the Eastern Seaboard have seen in the 2024 summer season. &nbsp;“The hardest part of predicting fall color is accounting for the extremes.” Fisher elaborated. “[Drought] that can do crazy things to the fall color. If you have a little bit of drought it may delay the color. If you have a lot of drought, it may accelerate it. But we don’t really know exactly where that line is exactly in between. And sometimes the same goes for really moist conditions.” &nbsp;Another important factor for forecasting foliage is the amount of daylight too. “I like to say that daylight opens the door for fall colors. Once the days get short enough and the temperatures are cool enough, we start to see the colors progress,” Fisher said.&nbsp;You can learn more about forecasting fall colors below:&nbsp;<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GyZbO8Rh3Ug" start="0"></iframe></div>WHY ARE THEY DIFFERENT COLORS: &nbsp;The color each tree presents depends on what’s present in the leaves. According to the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, xanthophyll and carotenes are already present in leaves as the green chlorophyll fades away. These pigments give leaves yellow and orange coloring, similar to how they color other plants such as carrots.&nbsp;Other chemical reactions can happen at the same time as the fading green color which produces anthocyanin pigments, which give leaves a reddish and purplish color. The Forestry Services of Scotland says if temperatures stay above freezing, more of these anthocyanin pigments are produced. If autumn remains sunny and dry, even more trees will begin to produce pigments to give even more red color. The process is slow though, which is why you sometimes see trees with a mix of greens, yellows, and reds all at once.&nbsp;WHY DO LEAVES DROP:&nbsp;In the spring, trees create little tubules between the leaves and the branches to transport nutrients back and forth between the leaves. As the fall creeps in, the tree begins producing a hormone that builds up a waxy layer between the leaf and the branch that reduces nutrient transportation. Eventually the leaf will be weak enough to be carried away by the wind, rain, or snow, said Michael Davidson on his Molecular Expressions website via Florida State University. &nbsp;By dropping their leaves, deciduous trees will spend less energy through the winter and converse moisture throughout their systems. The dropping of their leaves also prevents external stress that can occur when heavy snow weighs down a tree’s branches. &nbsp;THE FORECAST AHEAD:For the Week of September 19 - September 26, 2024, the foliage map highlights some areas across the country that will be reaching peak color.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-23 210943-1727147388960.png">This includes the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where some of the best spots for leaf-peeping those aspens will wrap up this upcoming week. So get out, be safe, and enjoy!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot 2024-09-23 210909-1727147366743.png">For the latest foliage forecast, be sure to join us live on WeatherNation!

Brittany Lockley

Falling into Fall - Why Leaves Change Color and Your Foliage Forecast

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Earth is about to get a new asteroid friend, but not the kind that crashes and causes havoc. It’s more of an “in-laws that overstay their welcome” kind of situation. Here’s what you need to know about a new mini-moon:&nbsp;<h3>What’s happening?&nbsp;</h3>Back in August, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) program discovered a roughly 10-meter-wide asteroid from the Arjuna asteroid belt that will get close enough to Earth to classify it as a “mini-moon” starting on September 29th. The report <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/ad781f">published in the American Astronomical Society journal</a>, said&nbsp;asteroid 2024 PT5 will make a horseshoe shaped orbit around our planet over the course of 57 days; ending on November 25th.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1833588006353310110" src="https://x.com/tony873004/status/1833588006353310110"></div>&nbsp;<h3>What is a “Mini-Moon"?&nbsp;</h3>“Mini-moons” can range from asteroids to random pieces of space junk floating around. These near-Earth objects will enter Earth’s gravitational pull and will often complete at least a partial revolution around our planet. Sometimes the object doesn’t even complete a full revolution before exiting and continuing its regular heliocentric trajectories. &nbsp;While asteroid 2024 PT5 won’t complete a full orbit of Earth, some astronomers may call it a “temporarily captured flyby”.&nbsp;<h3>Will I be able to see it?&nbsp;</h3>Short answer: no.&nbsp;Long answer: 2024 PT5 won’t be bright enough, even with a typical home telescope. &nbsp;NASA classifies how bright celestial objects are by their magnitude. Low numbers, including negatives, are brighter, while higher numbers are fainter.&nbsp;2024 PT5 has a magnitude of 27.595. The naked eye can see objects as faint as roughly 6.5 magnitude, and a traditional 12-inch telescope can see things with magnitudes between 16-17. To put it in perspective, the moon sits at –13 magnitude. &nbsp;<h3>Is this a rare event?&nbsp;</h3>These phenomena aren’t partially rare as the Earth can capture Near Earth Objects all the time. In 2022, a mini-moon called Asteroid 2022 YG entered the Earth’s orbit. Our planet has had a repeated visitor of 2022 NX1 asteroid who became a mini-moon in both 1981 and 2022. That asteroid won’t be back until 2051 though. &nbsp;In fact, this happens so often, some researchers believe Earth always has at least one mini-moon hovering in space. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Earth's New "Mini-Moon": 4 Things To Know

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Caitlin Connell

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Flash flood warnings were issued in cities like Oklahoma City and Norman early Sunday morning as 5-6+" of rain fell within a matter of hours. The city of Norman accumulated over 5" of rain this morning alone. Leading to some vehicles getting stranded in the high water on the inundated roads.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/08/VO_081124_RSC_NORMAN, OK_CAR STRANDED IN FLOOD_@gregstumpf_TW_MR_E081124-1723396972198.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Radar estimates a widespread 3-5" have fallen across much of the Sooner State. Including in cities like Muskogee and Fort Smith, Arkansas.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot 2024-08-11 161916-1723414769784.png">Top rainfall totals neared 10" today in Noble, and the OKC-Norman near 6". Oklahoma City broke the daily rainfall record for Sunday. The new record is 6.58" beating out the previous record of 4.62" from August 11, 2008. Much of the rainfall has lightened but general thunderstorms remain possible through the rest of Sunday. It's imperative to take all flood alerts seriously. Remember to turn around, don't drown.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot 2024-08-11 161922-1723414779921.png">Here's a look at this slow-moving mesoscale convective system that rolled through OKC and Norman early on Sunday and was responsible for the flooding throughout the state.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="1822656720721576272" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/1822656720721576272"></div>

Flash Flooding in Oklahoma on Sunday Morning

Tropical Storm Helene Prompts Hurricane Warnings for Florida

Tropical Storm Helene formed earlier this mor

Storms Continue to Rumble Across the Midwest

A cold front draped across the country extend

Fast Moving Front Sparks Severe Chances Around the Red River Valley

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - An intense thunderstorm t

Running Hot for the First Week of Fall

It is officially Fall! However, some out West

CAT 3 Hurricane John Makes Landfall in South Coast of Mexico

MEXICO - Major, category 3, Hurricane John of

Falling into Fall - Why Leaves Change Color and Your Foliage Forecast

Pumpkin spice lattes are back at coffee shops

Earth's New "Mini-Moon": 4 Things To Know

Earth is about to get a new asteroid friend,