Big changes are underway today, with the beginning of an arctic blast settling across the northern Plains. The Breakfast Brief is published daily, Monday through Friday, at 5:00 a.m. Eastern time.

The work week ends on a mostly quiet note. The WeatherRadar shows snow showers moving across the Appalachians and the Northeast. Only an inch or so will be possible. It will remain chilly, with 20s and 30s found across the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and New England.

Before the arctic blast arrives later today and through this weekend, a mid-January thaw continues. The TemperatureRadar shows highs in the 50s and 60s across the southern Plains, Texas, the South and Southeast. Southern and central Florida will tip-toe into the 70s Friday afternoon.

The Mountain West, northern Rockies and the northern Plains will have plummeting temperatures this afternoon and evening as a cold front move south, bringing snow along the way. Morning temperatures in the lower 30s will be the daily high as the mercury will be in the teens by sunset. This will continue this weekend.

The West will be quiet, with sunshine dominating, even in Seattle and Portland, Ore. Seasonably temperatures in the 40s and 50s will be found across the Interior West and Northwest. The Southwest and southern California will be in the 60s.