Bitter cold and snow will be replaced with above-average temperatures for much of the country, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service is forecasting wind gusts of over 50 mph from Atlantic to Waterloo. What to know about blizzard possibilities.

However, with temperatures rising above freezing in the afternoon, the top layer of snow will begin to melt and could form a crust. This may act to reduce the risk of blowing snow and blizzard conditions, but with wind gusts potentially near 60mph, the wind is still expected to erode away that crust and cause visibility issues.

A winter storm warning remains in effect across parts of New York as a complex system moves through the eastern Great Lakes.