What’s with all the wild weather this week?
From blizzard conditions in the Midwest to a heat wave in the western U.S. to flooding in Hawaii, March has brought wild weather to the country
A low-pressure system was bringing snow to the Midwest and stormy conditions to the eastern U.S. on Monday.
Torrential rains have led to flash floods in Hawaii. The upper Midwest is covered with over two feet of snow, with more on the way. Meanwhile, the eastern U.S. braces for hail, strong winds, and potential tornadoes, and the West faces record-breaking heat. Why are these extreme weather events occurring simultaneously?
The simple reason: it’s March. Early spring is a time of transition in terms of weather. Cold air from the north clashes with warm, moist air from the south, creating conditions ripe for unsettled weather and significant snowstorms across the contiguous U.S. “March and April are the months when we see these air mass conflicts,” explains Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s (NWS’s) Weather Prediction Center.
Focusing first on the Midwest snow, a storm, or low-pressure system, formed in the region, bringing cold air from Canada into contact with moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. This combination provides the storm with abundant moisture, resulting in high snowfall totals, according to Hurley. The snow is also wetter than the typical January or February snow in the area. While this is common for March and April, the strength of this storm is causing blizzard conditions and snowfall rates of up to three to four inches per hour in certain areas. Some locations may experience record snowfalls for this time of year.
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Additionally, the low-pressure system features a QLCS, or quasi-linear convective system, in meteorological terms. This refers to a long, undulating line of thunderstorms, visible on weather maps as a classic comma shape trailing from the low-pressure area. These waves occur when “winds are gusting out faster” in front of the main line, Hurley notes, forming an arrangement similar to a taut bow. The winds are driven by large pressure differences, potentially reaching 60 to 70 miles per hour in parts of the mid-Atlantic on Monday. The abundant moisture creates an unstable atmosphere conducive to thunderstorm development, which, combined with strong winds, could lead to tornadoes.
A city worker closes a sidewalk after strong winds toppled a tree onto a house on March 15, 2026, in Bloomington, Ind.
Jeremy Hogan/Getty Images
Turning to the West, a high-pressure area is forming and strengthening over the Southwest, leading to a significant heat wave with temperatures expected to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in some locations. Though similar to summer heat domes, this event is occurring much earlier, and while temperatures won’t reach typical July levels, they are notably higher than usual for this time of year, Hurley comments. This heat wave might set unprecedented March records.
Further west, beyond the high-pressure zone, another low-pressure system, known as a “Kona low,” is impacting the Hawaiian Islands. This system brings southerly winds that pull substantial moisture over the islands, explains Thomas Vaughan, a meteorologist at the NWS’s Honolulu office. Though these systems are not uncommon in the region, this particular one was exceptionally intense, causing over 15 inches of rain in several areas over five days. This led to flash floods and mudslides, with rainfall totals exceeding the typical values for the entire month of March, Vaughan notes. More rain is anticipated this week, but not on the same scale, he adds.
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