Weather

A cold air mass will bring gusty winds, showers and wet snow Wednesday from the Great Lakes to much of the Northeast. Most showers will not reach the Ohio Valley or coastal areas of the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England, and snow should be limited to the upper Great Lakes and the higher elevations of the northern Appalachians. While gusts may not exceed 45 mph in most areas, wet soil will allow winds to topple some trees.

Much cooler air will expand into most of the Deep South. The immediate central Gulf Coast and Florida will remain warm and humid.

Rain will continue in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas but should be much more sporadic than the past few days. Water runoff will cause significant rises on some of the major rivers in central Texas. Clouds and showers are expected to linger over the southern Rockies. Much of the rest of the Plains, Rockies and Pacific Coast are expected to be dry. The wind should be much lighter than over the past several days in Southern California, but even a breeze may be enough to keep the risk of wildfires high.

FOCUS: Increasingly Cold This Weekend

A series of cold fronts will push through the Northeast early Saturday, with strong winds. Behind the front, the coldest air mass of the season will arrive. There may be snow showers near the Great Lakes and over the higher elevations of the area.