Daily briefing: Snow, gusty winds for Thursday

Winter is digging further south today bringing snow and gusty winds to the nation's midsection. The West remains quiet. The daily briefing is published every weekday at 5 a.m. ET.

Every winter, Arctic air makes its way into the U.S., bringing chilly temperatures as far south as the Gulf Coast. This week's cold air mass continues moving in, bringing snow and gusty winds, as seen on the WeatherRadar.

Morning snow is possible across the lower Great Lakes, the Northeast and along the Appalachian spine through southwest Virginia. More snow will move from north to south across the northern tier by this afternoon, before becoming widespread by this evening.

Isolated raindrops are possible in New England before the cold air turns things wintry throughout the day.

Other spots receiving the wet weather include Florida and the Southeast Coast this morning. Pre-commute thunderstorms may beat the alarm clocks in Southwest Florida. As a cold front moves east, things should be drier by the PM drive home.

A wind storm accompanies this cold air mass. The Plains will have gusts reaching past 45 mph in some spots, especially in North Dakota. Watch for power outages, blowing objects and mind the high-profile vehicles.

Cold highs in the 30s and 40s spread from North Dakota to Georgia and back up to Maine. Northern and central Florida will only be in the 50s and low 60s, while south Florida stays more comfortable in the 70s. The central and southern Plains will be milder in the 50s and 60s, with 70s expected in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles.

Chilly highs in the 30s and 40s will spread throughout the Mountain West, but the West Coast has plenty of mild highs in the forecast again. While upper 40s and 50s stretch from Seattle to Portland, Ore., 60s and 70s will be found throughout California and the Desert Southwest, with L.A., making it to a high of 80 degrees.

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