Breakfast brief - Stormy trend in PNW, Miss., Valley

A frontal system will bring rain and storms along the Mississippi Valley, with a severe threat present in the Deep South. The Pacific Northwest is dealing with non-stop rain and snow, which will continue through the weekend. The Breakfast Brief is published daily Monday through Friday at 5:00 a.m., eastern time.

Low pressure moving out of the central Plains will bring a messy Friday to the Mississippi Valley. Rain with intermittent downpours will spread as far north as Minnesota and Wisconsin before shifting east to the Ohio and Tennessee valleys by the late afternoon and evening.

With this low-pressure system, those in the Deep South will need to look out for isolated severe storms. Gusty winds greater than 57 mph and hail greater than 1 to 2 inches in diameter are possible within the storms, but a tornado or two cannot be ruled out. The WeatherRadar shows that these storms have been ongoing since late Thursday night and will continue through the early afternoon hours.

Scattered showers will also be present in the Southeast and Florida, with the Mid-Atlantic getting in on the rainy action by the afternoon commute. Have a close eye on the WeatherRadar, especially if you're dodging flash flooding in flood-prone areas on the highways.

The Mountain West continues to be very busy as storm after storm makes the trek inland. The northern Rockies and northern Great Basin are dealing with the heavy snow and gusty winds this morning, and the activity will spread east into the High Plains and central Rockies this afternoon.

Just as one storm moves into the mountains, another enters the Pacific Northwest and northern California coasts by the mid-afternoon. The whole package is involved. Heavy rainfall, mountain snow and gusty winds will come with it. Flash flooding, landslides, rockslides and treacherous travel will need to be monitored, especially since this isn't the first, second or even third storm of the week.

More storms are in the weekend forecast. Take a peek here in case you are continuing with holiday plans.

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