Breakfast brief

Moving from west to east, southern California continues to have dangerous and life-threatening winds through the end of the day today, with more wildfire activity expected. Snow continues for the Northeast and Great Lakes, but the energies for the next big winter storm are being viewed today. The Breakfast Brief is published daily, Monday through Friday, at 5:00 a.m. Eastern time.

The WindRadar shows gusts have not quieted down through the night as a Santa Ana wind event continues in southern California. Wildfires have been breaking out since Tuesday and they are expected to get worse today, with more likely starting. On top of that, more power outages are possible as these gusts knock down electrical wires and tree limbs.

The winds will start to weaken this afternoon and evening.

An upper-level shortwave will bring a burst of snowy and even rainy weather across the High Plains Wednesday morning, with a few spots seeing a wintry mix. Through the day, the precipitation turns entirely to snow as it descends south across the northern Plains and into the central Rockies.

To the South, a low pressure slowly moving into Texas will create a wet, icy, and snowy mess along Interstate 20 and Interstate 10 between El Paso and Midland. As this low pressure goes further into Texas Wednesday night, it will merge with the energy, bringing the snowy burst across the Rockies, creating the next large winter storm. Get a preview here.

Scattered snowfall will stretch from the Upper Midwest Great Lakes to the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Wednesday amongst bitter cold temperatures in the teens and 20s. Some snow showers could cause lowered visibility. Keep an eye on the WeatherRadar when heading out the door.

We're heading into peak season for winter storms. Make sure your winter weather alerts are turned on!