Additional Coverage:
East Coast Braces for Severe Storms: Flights Grounded, Power Outages Mount, Tornado Threats Issued
A powerful storm system is sweeping across the eastern United States, bringing widespread disruption and prompting severe weather alerts for over 94 million people. Flights have been grounded, hundreds of thousands are without power, and tornado advisories are in effect from Florida to New York, with the Mid-Atlantic region, including Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, facing the highest risk of hurricane-force winds and tornadoes.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser urged residents to stay indoors and seek shelter if a tornado warning is issued, cautioning that it could take “several days or longer to get back to normal” in the event of significant damage. Federal forecasters anticipate the worst impacts will occur through Monday afternoon and into the evening.
Michigan Hit by Blizzard Conditions
While the East Coast battles thunderstorms, Michigan is grappling with blizzard conditions. Early Monday evening, approximately 360,000 people across the U.S. were without power, with nearly a third of those, around 118,000, located in Michigan. The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting up to five inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 45 mph in portions of Eastern Upper Michigan and Northern Lower Michigan.
DC Tornado Watch Canceled, Damaging Winds Remain a Threat
Late Monday afternoon, NWS forecasters for the D.C. area canceled a tornado watch. However, they warned of potentially damaging winds and significant temperature drops of up to 30 degrees overnight, with high winds and thunderstorms still possible until 10 p.m. local time. This easing of the forecast followed widespread school closures and early dismissals of federal offices in the region.
Southwest Braces for Record-Breaking Heat
On the other side of the country, southeast California and southern Arizona are preparing for record-breaking heat. Temperatures are expected to soar up to 109 degrees, beginning Wednesday in California and Thursday in Arizona, and lasting through Sunday.
NWS forecasters in Phoenix note that these conditions will feel “equivalent to June’s normal temperatures,” with daily records potentially being broken by around 10 degrees. This extreme heat warning is among the earliest on record for the region.
Rare “Moderate” Risk for Thunderstorms in D.C. Region
The National Weather Service has issued a “moderate” Level 4 out of 5 risk for thunderstorms across a broad area of the East Coast, stretching from Washington to northern South Carolina. Such a risk assessment is rare for the Mid-Atlantic, typically occurring only two or three times per decade.
An estimated 9 million people reside in this highest-risk area. The Storm Prediction Center warns of “multiple rounds of severe storms through this evening will yield potential for scattered to widespread damaging winds and a few strong tornadoes from the Carolinas into the Mid-Atlantic States.”
White House Flag Lowered, Washington Monument Closes Early
In preparation for the severe weather, workers were observed taking down the U.S. flag on the North Lawn of the White House. The Washington Monument also closed at 1 p.m. on Monday “due to anticipated weather conditions,” and Hains Point, a popular recreational area, was closed early in the afternoon. Authorities cautioned against possible flash flooding, standing water, strong winds, lightning, and hail.
Wild Weather Swings: Blizzards, Tornadoes, and Near-Record Warmth
The dramatic weather fluctuations across the central and eastern United States-from blizzards and bitter cold to severe thunderstorms and near-record warmth-are characteristic of March as the seasons transition from winter to spring, according to forecasters. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Courtney Travis explained that “wide temperature swings are normal as you get into meteorological spring…
It’s during this time that you’ll start to see enough warm and cold air present in North America to get those larger temperature changes.” These significant swings are attributed to two fundamentally different air masses vying for control.
North Carolina Activates Emergency Response Team
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced that the state’s Emergency Response Team has been activated to address calls for service as storms bring heavy rain and hurricane-force winds. Governor Stein urged residents to ensure emergency alerts are enabled and to have a plan for shelter.
Power Outages Mount, Flights Canceled
Thousands of Americans are currently without power as severe weather continues to impact the eastern U.S. As of 10 a.m. ET, Michigan reported over 131,000 outages, followed by Ohio with approximately 52,000, Pennsylvania with over 30,000, and New York with about 21,000.
Travel has also been significantly disrupted, with more than 3,000 flights nationwide canceled on Monday. Most cancellations were concentrated in the central and eastern U.S., where massive snowstorms and intensifying thunderstorms forced ground stops. New York City’s two largest airports accounted for 580 cancellations, followed by Chicago O’Hare (450), Charlotte Douglas (348), and Orlando International (279).
Tornado Watches and Warnings Issued
Tornado watches and warnings were active from the Florida Panhandle to Virginia as the large storm system progressed. The weather service office in Tallahassee issued a tornado warning, urging residents to “TAKE COVER” from a fast-moving storm. Similar warnings were issued for parts of Patrick County, Virginia, advising individuals to move to basements or interior rooms on the lowest floor of sturdy buildings.
Blizzard Conditions Persist in Great Lakes
The intense cyclone responsible for the eastern storms is also bringing persistent blizzard conditions to the Great Lakes region. Another 8 to 10 inches of snow are expected in Wisconsin and Michigan, with up to 18 inches in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, potentially bringing two-day snowfall totals to 2 or 3 feet. This winter storm has already knocked out power to over 120,000 homes and businesses in Michigan.
Heavy Rain in Florida, Storm Damage in Kentucky
Forecasters anticipate potent storms across parts of the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Flash flooding is possible in South Florida, where more than 5 inches of rain has fallen in parts of the Everglades, with rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches an hour possible.
Overnight, multiple buildings in Flaherty, Kentucky, sustained severe damage, accompanied by downed trees and power lines. In Sevier, Tennessee, wind gusts as high as 77 mph were reported.
Extreme Weather Swings: Heat Records and Freeze Warnings
The severe weather across the nation is producing intense weather swings. Parts of Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona are under extreme heat watches, with high temperatures 20 to 30 degrees above normal for this time of year.
Dozens of daily high temperature records are expected, with many locations potentially setting all-time high temperatures for March and their earliest 100-degree temperature on record. Conversely, states from Texas to Alabama to Georgia are under freeze warnings as a cold front moves through, with plunging temperatures that could tie or break daily low records for March.