Patrick Crawford has always been a huge weather buff! He grew up in Plano, Texas, and it was there that he experienced what Mother Nature was capable of doing. He would always turn on the television to see what local meteorologists were saying about the weather. That's when he realized he wanted to be a meteorologist.

Patrick graduated from Northern Illinois University (’04) with a degree in Meteorology and a double minor in Mathematics and Geography. Broadcast Meteorology has been great to him and he has been able to work in television markets all across the country. Some of his stops have included New Orleans, Green Bay and even Yuma, Arizona. He is so excited to be part of the WeatherNation team.

He has been awarded the prestigious CBM (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) weather seal from the American Meteorological Society.

Feel free to catch up with Patrick Crawford on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MeteorologistPC/">Facebook</a> and on <a href="https://twitter.com/MeteorologistPC">Twitter</a> pages.

Patrick Crawford

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A strong ridge of high pressure building over the Western U.S. will bring warm, dry, and windy weather conditions. This will set up a strong fire weather risk for the next few days. Outdoor activities that could spark or ignite should be avoided over the next few days. Check out the strong wind gusts below as several locations recorded wind gusts over 100 mph!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773356604431.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773441718923.png">Several fires have sparked and spread with the strong winds. Power companies have started to cycle power in areas of Colorado to mitigate fire risk. It makes sense when winds are clocking up to 90+ mph in Colorado.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/WEB 3-1773406830852.png"><h1>Fire Weather Alerts</h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1png-1773441294718.png"><h1>FIRE OUTLOOK</h1><h3>FRIDAY</h3>Winds will relax a tad bit as elevated fire threat will be likely. However, critical fire threats return this weekend as the winds pick up again.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773356717056.png"><h2>SATURDAY</h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773441768188.png">It is always important to know some tips on how to prevent fires, so here are some tips.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/pic4-1773244322444.png">

Jesse Kelley

Fire Weather Risk for the Plains

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Tracey Anthony

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A large, high-impact storm system will work from the Plains --&gt; to the Great Lakes --&gt; to the Northeast over the weekend into early next week and millions will feel impacts from measurable snow, gusting winds, heavy rain, and a powerful cold front. READ ABOUT THE SNOW/COLD SIDE OF THE STORM HERE: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/old-man-winter-roars-in-this-week">MIDWEST SNOW STORM</a> <h2>MIDWEST TARGETED AGAIN</h2><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2032281819236999489" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2032281819236999489"></div> Some of these areas are still picking up the pieces from the last storm system that brought severe weather to Illinois and Indiana on Tuesday. An Enhanced Risk outlook (level 3 out of 5 severe threat) issued by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) several days in advance is something to keep tabs on. Significant wind potential is likely, with some tornadoes and hail. We'll get a defined threat on Saturday when the new outlook is issued.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773441116635.png"><h2>MONDAY'S THREAT</h2>By Monday the threat moves to the Mid-Atlantic/ East Coast. Where dew points are expected to surge into the 60s, making the atmosphere have the energy to fuel strong storm development. Wind will likely remain the most widespread threat, with several squall lines possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773441157939.png"><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/New Baron Video 3-1773441232877.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

Eyes on the End of the Weekend: Renewed Storm Threat for the Plains

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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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After severe storms slammed the Midwest earlier this week, another set of storm systems is trekking through the region with more of a wintry feel. The first system moved into the Midwest on Thursday with very gusty winds. It will continue to shift through the Great Lakes on Friday with wind and snow, clearing into early Saturday. The next system begins to send light snow across the Plains and Midwest early Saturday, but intensifies Saturday night, quickly into Sunday with very heavy snow and gusty winds that linger through Monday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-13 063811-1773405868205.png">Winds have been extreme with this system. Gusts in have topped 80 -100 mph in multiple states with the strongest winds expected over the Great Lakes on Friday. High wind warnings are in effect where gusts are expected to surpass 55-60 mph.<h1>Friday Night - Monday</h1>Another day, another system. This one follows in the footsteps of the previous one. That will funnel MUCH colder air southward. In fact, this cold burst may lead to several records falling across the South by Tuesday morning.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-11 093339-1773243234730.png">This system, while also windy, will be a big snowmaker for portions of the Midwest as gulf moisture is sent into sub-freezing temperatures.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/2026-03-13 06-48-43-1773408502446.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Impacts are expected to gradually ramp up from Saturday into Sunday, with intense snowfall rates combining with gusty winds across the Upper-Midwest. Heaviest snow is currently expected from central Minnesota east into northern Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. Snow totals could surpass 1-2 feet in these locations!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-13 064953-1773406208033.png">Be sure to check back for updates as we fine tune this forecast!

Multiple Systems Bring Gusty Winds, Heavy Snow to the Midwest

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Top Image Credit: National Parks Service<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8V6xqwukzO0" start="0"></iframe></div>Spring is fast approaching, and so are the blooms of flowers all across North America. This includes the famous cherry tree bloom around the National Mall in Washington, D.C.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-06 080027-1772810872599.png">On Thursday, March 5th, the National Park Service announced its projected peak cherry blossom date for 2026. The peak is expected around late March into early April (between the 31st and 2nd). Still, the forecast for the peak is generally difficult to make beyond ten days, as blossoms will be impacted by weather conditions. Check back in for updates!<h2>What is "peak bloom"?</h2>The peak bloom date is defined as the day when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open, one of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/types-of-trees.htm">many types of cherry trees</a> in the area. Peak bloom usually lasts for several days, with the blooms taking <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/bloom-watch.htm">about two to three weeks to reach peak</a> after the appearance of green buds. As buds begin to appear, the forecast peak date will be updated by National Park Service horticulturists.<h2>Past Blooms</h2><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-06 080035-1772811048593.png"> Due to variable weather conditions, peak bloom has occurred as early as March 15th (1990) and as late as April 18th (1958).Visiting the blossoming cherry trees has become a favorite springtime tradition for Americans and tourists alike, dating back to 1912 when Japan gifted the U.S. about 3,000 cherry trees. The cherry trees in Japan have been putting on a show for thousands of years, with the dates of blooms being <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/date-of-the-peak-cherry-tree-blossom-in-kyoto">recorded all the way back to the 9th century</a>. The dates for this year's peak blooms in Japan are expected from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.japan-guide.com/sakura/">late March through late April</a> from north to south across the nation.

Peak Cherry Blossom Forecast Released for 2026

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You may have heard the news but a large heatwave is coming to the West. Temperatures will be in the 90s and 100s at times during the next seven days. Daily and all time March records could fall too! Thursday, a few records fell but the intense heat really cranks up next week.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773369042210.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/ahs-1773322054993.png">Heat Advisories are in effect through Friday across portions of Southern California. There is a high risk of heat illness for most of the population on Friday as temperatures peak 20-30 degrees above normal.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773356386409.png">Los Angeles has a shockingly warm week ahead with numerous days expected to be in the 80s and 90s.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773368112045.png">Take heat related illnesses seriously and find ways to stay cool if you need to spend long periods of time outside or without air conditioning.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773356460203.png">More details can be found :50 past the hour in your Western Regional Forecast.

Record-Breaking Heat Builds Out West

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WeatherNation Meteorologists

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Severe storms continued into this morning, with dozens of overnight tornado warnings as the line moved east.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-12 174429-1773359087251.png">Things are finally quieting down from this multi-day severe weather outbreak, but not before 200+ severe wind reports, 150+ hail reports, and 30+ tornado <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/260310_rpts.html">reports to the Storm Prediction Center</a>.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-12 174440-1773359116917.png">Tuesday, March 10, will go down as record-breaking for at least one state in the Midwest. After the Storm Prediction Center upgraded parts of Illinois and Indiana to a Moderate (Level 4/5) Risk, destructive severe storms ripped through the heart of the country. A large supercell on the ground for up to 45 minutes produced a large and dangerous tornado in the town of Kankakee, IL. The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued preliminary damage assessments rating this tornado as an EF-3 with max winds of 150mph. Our field crews were on the ground to capture it as it happened and to speak with the families impacted.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2031867768505598421" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2031867768505598421"></div>First responders worked tirelessly, picking up debris and searching for survivors in the aftermath. Loads of footage came out of this tornado, much of which was heartbreaking to see.<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2031730530631434633" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2031730530631434633?s=20"></div><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-12 073153-1773322362766.png">A highly unstable atmosphere led to strong updrafts, resulting in large hail during severe storms. Hailstones the size of softballs and larger were reported in Texas and Illinois.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-11 082436-1773239081623.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/AAA_WEB5-1773228556681.png">A hailstone from the Kankakee, IL supercell looks likely to be a state record, and could challenge national records for biggest hail. The photo posted by a Kankakee resident looks to be upwards of 7-8 inches in diameter! The stone will have to be examined to determine if it breaks the record set by hail from Vivian, South Dakota, in 2010 that measured 8 inches.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot 2026-03-11 115507-1773251922303.png"><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2031525994843214069" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2031525994843214069"></div>

Destructive Tornadoes, Hail From Multi-Day Severe Outbreak

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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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On the heels of an active opening week to Meteorological Spring, another threat of severe weather will be in the cards yet again for Wednesday. With plenty of unstable air to tap into, as this system chugs East, the threat for severe weather persists. The Storm Prediction center has issued a SLIGHT (level 2 out of 5) risk for severe weather from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast.Hail is another big concern. More widespread, 1" in diameter hail is possible, but many locations could also encounter 2" in diameter hailstones Tuesday. Some portions of Texas and Illinois have already seen hailstones over 3.5", which is in between the size of a softball and teacup.RELATED ARTICLE: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/destructive-tornadoes-hail-rip-through-central-us">Destructive Tornadoes, Hail Rip Through Central U.S.</a>A SLIGHT (level 2 out of 5) risk remains in place following the cold front through tonight.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773282080141.png">During the overnight, a tornado risk remains in place especially across the Gulf Coast. Have a few ways to receive alerts to wake you up if warnings are issued.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773282254705.png">The threat for severe weather continues Thursday morning as the squall line moves through the Carolinas and Georgia. The biggest threat will be damaging winds.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/1-1773282360616.png"><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/03/New Baron Video 3-1773282503903.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Tune in to WeatherNation live for the very latest.

Significant Severe Weather Threatens Again Wednesday

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Wild developments have surfaced from the state of California after local authorities arrested a man believed to be tied to the Park Fire. He pushed a burning car into a ditch, that started the blaze on Wednesday, July 24. The day it started, it grew over 124,000 acres with little containment. Now, the fire is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/24/park-fire">burning more than 399k acres</a>. The fire is burning across Butte and Tehama County, north of Chico. According to CalFire, the fire continues to burn very actively in steep terrain, which has made it difficult to access for firefighters.Related article: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/Wildfire%20Smoke%20Impacting%20Air%20Quality%20Across%20the%20West,%20Central%20U.S.">Wildfire Smoke Impacting Air Quality Across the West, Central U.S.</a><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/08/1-1722656433076.png">The map below shows the Park Fire's recent activity which started after a burning car was pushed into a gully. On Wednesday, it was sparked and began moving to the north of Chico (red). Then Thursday (dark orange) it burned to the north. Friday (orange) the fire burned to the east and northwest. Saturday (light orange), the fire burned toward CA Highway 44. Then on Sunday and Monday (mustard to light yellow), more flames engulfed Highway 44 and reached farther east into the Plumas National Forest. Tuesday (lightest yellow) headed towards Mineral and Prattville.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/08/1-1722626545687.png">Within the first five days, the Park Fire grew to become one of California's largest wildfires on record. On Friday, August 2nd it surpassed 399,000 acres, making it the 4th largest wildfire in California state history. The largest wildfire (or group of fires) was the August Lightning Complex fires in northern California in 2020, when more than a million acres of land was scorched.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2024/08/1-1722626651028.png">We're entering the hottest time of the year in this part of the country, which could continue drying vegetation and making it conducive for fire starts. Prevent future fires by obeying burn bans, avoiding anything that sparks, and properly disposing of anything lit on fire. We will continue to update you on this developing story.