Mother Nature will be treating us to an early taste of spring across much of the country this week. High temperatures could end up a good 20-40 degrees above average across the Plains and Midwest as highs soar into the 60s in Chicago, Milwaukee, Omaha and Des Moines on Monday. Dozens of record highs and warm record lows will be in jeopardy all week. The next cold front will knock temperatures back to reality across the Plains and Midwest Thursday and Friday. Watch this video to see how warm it will get in your city.

An active pattern will be setting up across the West this week, bringing several rounds of snow to the Rockies and Great Basin. The first round moves on Tuesday with more snow expected Wednesday into Thursday. Several inches of snow will be possible in Salt Lake City with 1-3 feet possible across higher elevations. Watch this for your latest hour-by-hour forecast.

February does actually bring tornadoes, usually across the South. Warm, moist air begins to creep north from the Gulf and can help bring the ingredients for tornado producing severe storms. Meteorologist Rob Shackelford breaks down why and where.

While this spring outlook may not see much in terms of change right away, a shift is coming that may make millions very happy. We break it down below.

As Milan hosts the Winter Olympics, southern Italy is battling catastrophic flooding. Firefighters in Cosenza pulled off 50 water rescues in a single day after the Busento River burst its banks, forcing families and pets to evacuate by raft. Meanwhile, 300 firefighters in Sardinia worked overnight clearing fallen trees and helping secure a ship torn from its moorings by extreme winds. This is the reality of extreme weather hitting Italy's infrastructure at the worst possible time.