Power outages likely along East Coast

The East Coast is being slammed with a big time storm bringing flooding rains, damaging winds, possible tornadoes, and snow. The West Coast will see the first bits of a new storm today. The Breakfast Brief is posted Monday through Friday at 5 a.m. ET.

A large storm system is impacting the East Coast today. Gusty winds are kicking up before sunrise as the associated cold front marches east. The temperatures along the East Coast are reaching up to 15 degrees above average today before the cold front slams in, bringing a wintry air mass. You can see the warmer air mass on the TemperatureRadar.

The cold front is colliding with a potent warm air mass, therefore heavy rain will reach up and down the coastline, with flooding possible in the Carolinas through the Northeast, especially along I-95 from Long Island to Maine. The severe weather, including a tornado threat, is possible from Tampa to Cape Cod, with more scattered severe storms popping up along the North Carolina coast. Have your alerts switched on.

Damaging winds will reach into the 30 to 40 mph range along the entirety of the East Coast with this system, but the strongest gusts will be found in the Northeast, especially New England. 60 mph gusts are expected, as seen on the WindRadar, which brings in the threat of power outages and fallen trees/limbs. Holiday decorations and loose objects will need to be tied down or taken indoors to avoid damage.

Snow will fall on the backend of this storm system around the Midwest, but temperatures will be frigid. Highs in the 20s and 30s will spread throughout the Midwest, with the Upper Midwest feeling temperatures in the single digits. Slightly more tolerable 40s will be found as far south as Nashville and Atlanta. Bundle up!

Much of the rest of the U.S. will be quiet except for the Pacific Northwest and northern California as the next storm system begins to come ashore. Light showers and some mountain snow will be possible throughout the day before heavier rain shows up by the afternoon commute. View the WeatherRadar for more localized details.

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