Temperatures plunge across the Southeast

A high-pressure system tries to build on Tuesday, causing a rebound in temperatures. However, it will be brief as another cold blast arrives in the Great Lakes and eventually in the Northeast. The Breakfast Brief is published every Monday through Friday at 5 a.m. ET.

Mostly benign weather is in store for Tuesday nationwide as the lake-effect snow ends. High pressure starts to briefly build, moving in from the north and will be settling in across the Southeast for Wednesday. Sunny skies and cooler temperatures will reign over the Southeast, where temperatures will range between 10 and 20 degrees below average in the afternoon. Along the Appalachians, temperatures will be very cold, with temperatures around 25 degrees below normal for this time of year.

There could still be some lake-effect snow east of Lake Erie on Tuesday morning, and the snow will taper off by the afternoon. Snow will fall over Lake Michigan and surrounding cities to the east. The snow will remain focused over the northern portion of the Great Lakes during the afternoon and evening.

The only rain showers, as seen on our WeatherRadar, in the nation will be focused across southern Texas through central Texas as a weak low-pressure system brings enough moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to cause instability. Remember that these showers and isolated storms will move over southeast Texas on Wednesday.

Temperatures will be on a warming trend across the West. Phoenix will reach the low 80s by Tuesday afternoon; although there will be some small fluctuations, highs will stay between the mid to upper 70s all week. Slightly cooler air will bring a temperature drop, mainly noticeable in the mornings from Southern California through the Four Corners.

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Since skies will be clear across a big chunk of the nation to start the month, check out your all-in-one astronomy tool in our app. See when the moon rises, sunsets, and moon phases. Lots of happening in the sky.