Breakfast Brief: Winter knocks on Rockies door

The western U.S. may just skip autumn this year— or at least this week —as mountain snow and colder temperatures arrive. For the Plains and East, it will be a totally different, hotter story.

The WeatherRadar shows a winter-like storm unfurling across the Rockies. This will bring snow to the northern and central Rockies while rain falls across the southern Rockies.

Another Pacific system will bring rain to the Northwest Coast while snow falls across the highest Cascades and even in the Intermountain area. Cold air accompanies both of these western systems and highs will only be in the 40s and 50s for most places. California and the Southwest will be slightly warmer, but highs will still only be in the 60s and low 70s.

On the flipside of the U.S., it is going to be hot across the central U.S. Highs in the 80s and low 90s will bake Texas and the southern Plains while Chicago, Minneapolis and most of the Ohio Valley hit the low 80s. It will be mostly sunny with just a few showers across southern Texas.

Gusty winds exceeding 50 mph, as seen on the WindRadar, will make it feel drier and increase the fire risk across the central U.S., especially in places like Oklahoma City, Wichita and Kansas City.

A weak front will bring some rain and clouds to the Northeast while the Mid-Atlantic and South stays mostly sunny. A few late-day showers could percolate across the Carolinas. Pleasant highs in the 70s will be found across the South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Highs in the 50s and 60s will keep New England cooler.

The main tropical development zones remain quiet, but several tropical waves will produce showers across the Greater Antilles and the western Caribbean. The tropical wave in the southwestern Caribbean will be watched for additional development later this week as it drifts northward.

No other tropical development is expected over the next several days.

It's never too early to prepare for the winter season! Is your blizzard kit in order?