Extreme Weather Swings Hit U.S. in Volatile March

From snow and tornadoes to record heat, March has brought chaotic conditions across the country.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 9:03am

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The month of March has long been known for its volatile weather, but this year has seen an especially extreme mix of conditions, with snow, tornadoes, record-breaking heat, and wildfires all hitting different parts of the U.S. in rapid succession. Experts say the unusually strong pressure patterns and a wavering jet stream are behind the dramatic shifts, which they attribute in part to the effects of climate change.

Why it matters

March's extreme weather highlights the growing impact of climate change, with the warming atmosphere leading to more intense heat waves, powerful storms, and other extreme events. These swings can have serious consequences for public safety, infrastructure, and local economies.

The details

In recent weeks, Michigan was hit by an early-season tornado that killed three people, the East Coast saw daily record highs shattered before temperatures plunged, the Midwest was buried under two feet of snow, and wildfires broke out in Nebraska. Experts say the culprit is a highly volatile jet stream pattern that is allowing cold Arctic air and warm, moist air to clash in dramatic fashion.

  • Two weeks ago, a tornado struck Michigan, the earliest such an intense storm has hit the state.
  • Last weekend, a blizzard dropped two feet of snow across the Upper Midwest, one of the top 25 snowstorms on record there.
  • This week, Phoenix is expected to reach 100 degrees, breaking a record for the earliest 100-degree day.

The players

Jennifer Francis

A senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts who studies the jet stream.

Trent Ford

The state climatologist for Illinois who has observed the extreme weather swings in the Midwest.

Mark A. Cane

A senior research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University who studies the link between climate change and extreme weather.

Michael Rawlins

A professor of climatology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who notes the trend of earlier warm weather.

Cassie Greer

A weather and climate expert for the environmental consulting firm Ramboll who was stranded by the Midwest blizzard.

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What they’re saying

“March is known to produce plenty of wild weather — sometimes lion-like, sometimes lamb-like, often a bit of both. But this jet stream pattern is a wacky one.”

— Jennifer Francis, Senior Scientist (Woodwell Climate Research Center)

“Anything that is considered extreme weather is some combination of the overall climate changes and the fluctuations in weather we have anyway. When the two line up, you get an extreme.”

— Mark A. Cane, Senior Research Scientist (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University)

“When you have that volatility in the jet stream, you're going to be creating more of those colder pushes later in the season.”

— Cassie Greer, Weather and Climate Expert (Ramboll)

What’s next

Meteorologists will continue to monitor the shifting weather patterns and the role of climate change, as the extreme swings in March could foreshadow more volatile conditions in the months ahead.

The takeaway

March's wild weather underscores how climate change is amplifying the intensity and unpredictability of extreme events, from heat waves to blizzards. As the planet continues to warm, communities will need to adapt to increasingly erratic and dangerous weather patterns.