Severe Weather Batters Midwest, Threatens East Coast

Heavy snow, high winds, and the threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes impact large swaths of the U.S.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 8:35pm

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A broad and erratic patchwork of severe weather rumbled across much of the U.S. on Sunday, dumping heavy snow and making roads impassable in the Upper Midwest while damaging high winds swept across the Plains. Portions of the mid-South also readied for late-day thunderstorms, which are expected to spread eastward and threaten a large swath of the Eastern U.S. by Monday, with the mid-Atlantic states at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes.

Why it matters

This severe weather event is impacting a wide geographic area, disrupting travel, causing power outages, and threatening lives and property across the Midwest and Eastern U.S. The threat of tornadoes in populated areas raises concerns about public safety and the ability of emergency services to respond effectively.

The details

Over 20 inches of snow had fallen in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin as of Sunday afternoon, leading to hazardous road conditions and the cancellation of over 600 flights at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. An area from central Wisconsin to Michigan's Upper Peninsula was likely to see over 2 feet of snow. Meanwhile, heavy rain in Hawaii has caused flooding, landslides, and the collapse of a home in Maui's Iao Valley. More than 210,000 utility customers in six Great Lakes states were without electricity as of Sunday afternoon, some due to high winds on Friday that reached 85 mph.

  • On Sunday afternoon, over 20 inches of snow had fallen in parts of southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
  • On Friday, high winds in the Great Lakes region reached 85 mph, causing power outages that continued into Sunday.
  • On Sunday, a line of severe storms with damaging winds was expected to cross much of the Eastern U.S. by late Monday, with the greatest threat of high winds and tornadoes in the mid-Atlantic states.

The players

AccuWeather

A leading weather forecasting company.

National Weather Service

The primary weather forecasting agency of the United States government.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency

The state agency responsible for emergency management and disaster response in Hawaii.

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency

The state agency responsible for emergency management and disaster response in Nebraska.

Jim Pillen

The Governor of Nebraska.

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What’s next

The National Weather Service has warned that a line of severe storms with damaging winds will cross much of the Eastern U.S. by late Monday, with the mid-Atlantic states at the greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes.

The takeaway

This severe weather event highlights the need for communities across the Midwest and Eastern U.S. to be prepared for the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events driven by climate change. Effective emergency response, infrastructure resilience, and public awareness are crucial to mitigating the impacts of these storms.