Blizzard and Severe-Storm System Disrupts Upper Midwest Travel, Floods Hawaii and Triggers Monday Tornado and High-Wind Threat Across Eastern U.S.
A sprawling, erratic storm system has produced heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the Upper Midwest — including parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan with up to 2+ feet in places and blizzard warnings for millions — forcing travel bans, National Guard activation, thousands of flight cancellations (more than 600 at Minneapolis–Saint Paul and 850 at Chicago among a nationwide total exceeding 2,000) and widespread school closures. At the same time a related storm has driven catastrophic flooding in Hawaii (some Maui locations reported more than 20 inches of rain and tens of thousands without power) and is expected to spawn late‑day severe thunderstorms that will shift east, putting a corridor from parts of South Carolina to Maryland — including Washington, D.C. — at heightened risk Monday for damaging winds, tornadoes (gusts up to about 74 mph) and additional outages.
📌 Key Facts
- A broad, erratic storm system is producing heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan); parts of the region already received more than a foot of snow, with some areas seeing 2+ feet and additional accumulations expected under active blizzard warnings.
- Widespread travel disruptions: more than 600 flights were canceled at Minneapolis–Saint Paul, more than 850 at Chicago O’Hare/Midway, additional cancellations through Detroit, and nationwide cancellations topped 2,000 as of Monday.
- High winds have caused extensive outages and damage — roughly 150,000 utility customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan were without power after non‑thunderstorm gusts up to 85 mph, and officials warned of gusts up to 74 mph in parts of the mid‑Atlantic and Carolinas.
- A major severe‑weather threat is expected Monday as thunderstorms spread east: the National Weather Service highlighted a corridor from parts of South Carolina to Maryland (including Raleigh, Richmond and Washington, D.C.) as most likely to see the most damaging winds and several tornadoes.
- Local preparations and impacts include school closures (Raleigh, Chapel Hill and widespread closures/early dismissals in NC, SC, VA, WI and MI), authorization of the Minnesota National Guard to support emergency operations, and public officials urging residents to enable emergency alerts.
- A separate, intense flooding event struck Hawaii: tens of thousands of customers (roughly 40,000–50,000) lost power, some Maui locations received more than 20 inches of rain in 24 hours, and the state saw widespread flooding, landslides, sinkholes, road closures, rescues and shelter operations.
- Related wildfire impacts in the Plains: three of Nebraska’s largest fires have burned well over 900 square miles (the Morrill County fire alone exceeded 700 square miles), and about 30 Nebraska National Guard members were deployed to assist.
- The storm complex is producing simultaneous extremes nationwide — an unusually early heat wave and potential record highs across the West (Southern California, Desert Southwest and Great Basin, raising wildfire danger) — while colder air will follow: wind chills below freezing are expected to reach the Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle by Tuesday, with freeze warnings in parts of the Southeast and central southern states.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2022, the age-adjusted cold-related mortality rate in the United States was 6.26 per 100,000 for American Indian or Alaska Native individuals (who comprise about 1.1% of the population) and 1.50 per 100,000 for Black individuals (who comprise about 13% of the population), compared to the overall rate of 0.92 per 100,000.
Tornadoes exacerbate racial segregation in the US, with African Americans more burdened by their effects than other races, particularly in areas with higher poverty levels and greater segregation.
Tornadoes can increase racial segregation — St. Louis Public Radio
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 16, 2026
1:31 PM
Severe storms blast eastern half of the U.S. with snow and high winds, as tornado threat rises
New information:
- Confirms more than 2,000 flight cancellations nationwide tied to the storm as of Monday.
- Details that mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., are at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes, with a stretch from parts of South Carolina to Maryland highlighted for the most damaging winds Monday afternoon.
- Specifies that by Tuesday morning, wind chills below freezing are expected to reach the Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle, with freeze warnings in parts of the Southeast as well as Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas.
- Notes additional snowfall totals in Upper Michigan of up to another foot to 20 inches, with blizzard conditions persisting in parts of Wisconsin and Michigan and up to 2 feet already on the ground in some areas.
- Reports widespread school closures in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin and Michigan, and early dismissals in Maryland due to the line of storms and high-wind/tornado threat.
- Quotes North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urging residents to enable emergency alerts ahead of forecast gusts up to 74 mph.
7:44 AM
Severe storms pummel parts of US with snow and high winds and raise tornado threat
New information:
- National Weather Service now highlights a corridor from parts of South Carolina to Maryland as most likely to experience the greatest damaging winds and several tornadoes on Monday afternoon, including Raleigh, Richmond, and Washington, D.C.
- Officials in North Carolina have ordered schools in Raleigh and Chapel Hill closed Monday because of the tornado and high‑wind threat; Gov. Josh Stein urged residents to enable emergency alerts ahead of potential 74‑mph gusts.
- AccuWeather’s Tyler Roys specifies that central Wisconsin to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is likely to see over 2 feet of snow, with lower but still disruptive accumulations in Chicago and Milwaukee impacting Monday commutes.
- The article reinforces that Hawaii continues to see flooding from a separate system, with some Maui locations receiving more than 20 inches of rain and extended road closures and shelter operations.
3:12 AM
Snow and wind batter parts of US, with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes starting later Sunday
New information:
- AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys describes the event as a "broad and erratic patchwork" of severe weather and warns that successive punches of snow, wind and severe weather will impact the eastern half of the U.S.
- Forecast detail that mid‑Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., are at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes on Monday as the system moves east.
- Report that more than 850 flights were canceled Sunday at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, on top of more than 600 cancellations at Minneapolis–Saint Paul and additional cancellations through Detroit.
- Updated Hawaii impact numbers: nearly 40,000 electric customers without power and some areas of Maui receiving more than 20 inches of rain, with local officials reporting flooding, landslides, sinkholes and widespread infrastructure damage.
March 15, 2026
8:26 PM
Severe weather batter parts of U.S., with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes starting later Sunday
New information:
- Confirms more than a foot of snow in portions of Minnesota and Wisconsin as of Sunday morning, with additional accumulations expected in the Minneapolis area under active blizzard warnings.
- Reports that more than 600 flights into and out of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport were canceled Sunday, with additional cancellations through Detroit.
- Details severe flooding in Hawaii: over 50,000 customers without power statewide, acres of farmland and homes flooded, road closures and opened shelters, and Maui County’s mayor reporting up to 20 inches of rain in 24 hours in parts of Maui, along with landslides, rescues and collapsed homes.
- Quotes AccuWeather meteorologist Tyler Roys warning that successive punches of snow, wind and severe weather will impact the eastern half of the U.S. and several major airports.
- Notes that portions of the mid‑South are bracing for late‑day thunderstorms Sunday that are expected to spread east and bring high‑wind and tornado threats to a broad swath of the Eastern U.S., with the Mid‑Atlantic including Washington, D.C., most at risk Monday.
7:26 PM
Weather threats bring blizzard conditions, early heat wave to parts of U.S.
New information:
- Quantifies current alert scope: about 11.5 million people under blizzard warnings, 4.3 million under winter storm warnings, and 20.6 million under an extreme heat watch.
- Confirms more than a foot of snow already fell in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin on Sunday, with additional accumulation expected in Minneapolis under ongoing blizzard warnings.
- Reports a formal no‑travel advisory in southern Minnesota and that Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard to support emergency operations.
- Details that more than 600 flights into and out of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport were canceled Sunday, with additional cancellations in Detroit.
- Specifies Monday’s forecast moderate risk of severe weather and damaging winds from parts of South Carolina to Maryland, including Raleigh, Richmond and Washington, D.C., plus a broader, lower risk stretching north into part of New York and south into northern Florida.
- Introduces a simultaneous, unusually early heat wave in the West, with potential record highs in Southern California, the Desert Southwest and Great Basin, including 90s–100s in desert areas and 70s–80s across much of California and the interior West, along with elevated wildfire danger.
5:41 PM
Snow and wind batter parts of US, with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes
New information:
- Confirms that a broad, erratic storm system is simultaneously producing heavy snow and blizzard conditions in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan while the same pattern drives the Nebraska wildfires previously reported.
- Reports more than 600 flight cancellations into and out of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport on Sunday and additional cancellations through Detroit because of the storm.
- Provides updated scope on the Nebraska wildfires: three of the largest fires have damaged well over 900 square miles, with the Morrill County fire alone burning well over 700 square miles, and about 30 Nebraska National Guard members deployed to assist.
- Notes that roughly 150,000 utility customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan remain without power Sunday after earlier non-thunderstorm wind gusts up to 85 mph, linking the current storm pattern to lingering outages.
- Adds that forecasters expect late-day severe thunderstorms Sunday to spread east and by Monday threaten a large swath of the Eastern U.S., with the mid-Atlantic including Washington, D.C., at particular risk for high winds and possible tornadoes.