Daily briefing: Great Lakes clipper, West stays active

As a snowy clipper system marks the first Monday of 2026 across the Great Lakes, the wet and snowy pattern continues across the West, from the coast to the Rockies. The daily briefing is published every weekday at 5 a.m. ET.

The WeatherRadar shows a clipper system hitting the Great Lakes today, bringing snow and gusty winds across Lakes Huron and Michigan. This is a quick-moving clipper, reaching the interior Northeast by this afternoon. A few flakes and some freezing drizzle cannot be ruled out as far south as the West Virginia and Maryland panhandles.

Both AM and PM commutes across the West Coast and Intermountain West could be slower due to rain and snow. Gusty winds will pick up along the Front Range, as well. High-profile vehicles and trucks will need to stay aware.

Other than a few showers across the northern Plains this afternoon, the rest of the U.S. will remain quiet.

Above-average temperatures will be found across the central and southern U.S. Highs will make it into the 60s and 70s in the Desert Southwest, the central and southern Plains, all the way to the Southeast and Florida. Cooler 40s and 50s will be found in the West, while cold 20s and 30s chill the higher elevations as well as the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and northwestward into the Midwest and northern Plains, as seen on the TemperatureRadar.

New year, best weather app! Share your love for Weather & Radar with a friend or loved one.