Daily briefing: Deep South severe storms, heavy rain

A spring-like storm system will shift slightly east into the Deep South today, bringing gusty winds, tornado and hail possibilities. Heavy rain could cause scattered flooding here, too. The daily briefing is published every weekday at 5 a.m. ET.

Friday's biggest story focuses on the southern severe threat, with isolated severe activity possible as far north as Evansville, Kent.

The WeatherRadar shows many across the Deep South seeing two rounds of thunderstorms, with the most severe expected during the second round, lasting into the overnight hours. Rainfall amounts up to 2.5 inches per hour are possible, especially from Lafayette and New Orleans to Chattanooga, Tenn.

The corresponding cold front triggering the storms will also extend to the Great Lakes and Northeast, bringing scattered showers today. Gusty winds are coming with it, getting as far south as the lower Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. The highest gusts will be near 50 mph around the lower Great Lakes and interior Northeast, as seen on the WindRadar.

On the back/northern end of the whole storm system, snow is expected in the Midwest.

Speaking of snow, a wintry system will be sweeping across the High Plains and down to the central and southern Rockies today, moving into the Plains. We could see snow and even freezing drizzle along its cold front from the Upper Midwest down to the Texas Panhandle.

Although the northern Rockies remain snowy today, the rest of the West is getting a much-needed break in the forecast.

Because of the cold front moving east today - the one triggering the thunderstorms - many will see their highest temperatures first thing in the morning or even earlier. Chicago's high temperature will be reached just after midnight, in the unseasonably warm upper 50s and 60s. The same phenomenon will happen in places across the Midwest, like St. Louis, Mo., Grand Rapids, Mich.

Otherwise, unseasonably warm highs in the 50s and 60s will get a chance to be felt in the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic before the cold front reaches these spots. Warm 70s will spread throughout the South and Florida will see temperatures in the 80s in the afternoon.

The Northeast, the Plains and the lower elevations of the West will be in the 30s and 40s, with the California Coast and the Desert Southwest in their usual 50s and 60s.

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