'March megastorm' leaves millions under watches and warnings
'March megastorm' leaves millions under watches and warnings
James Powel and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAYSun, March 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM UTC
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A severe late winter storm is hitting across the Midwest towards the Great Lakes, leaving millions under watches and warnings on March 15.
The storm has been dubbed a "March megastorm" by Accuweather and is forecast to hit the central United States with a combination of blizzard-like conditions and thunderstorms.
"Straight out of the textbook for wild swings in March weather, this winter reality check will follow on the heels of a severe weather outbreak and spell of record warmth in the central and eastern U.S. that will now intensify in the Southwest," said Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in an online forecast.
Conditions are expected to continue into March 16, when the weather service said the storm reaches peak intensity. Wind chills in the northern Plains could reach around minus 20 degrees, while parts of Texas could feel below freezing wind chills, the weather service said.
Here's a look at the watches and warnings issued across the country.
Weather watches and warnings mapWind warnings
Large swaths of the Midwest and Texas are under wind watches and warnings of various intensities.
Portions of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma are under high wind warnings. Parts of Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky are under wind advisories. Western Texas and New Mexico are under red flag warnings for increased fire risk.
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Winter weather warnings
Downtown Stevens Point, Wisconsin was covered in about four inches of fresh snow and many large drifts and piles before noon on March 15 after the first round of snowstorms expected on March 15 and 16.
The "March megastorm" has also blanketed the country with various warnings for winter weather.
Portions of Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula are under blizzard warnings.
The winter weather extends to the South, where parts of Arkansas, Eastern Tennessee and Alabama are under freeze watches. At the same time, parts of Georgia are under freeze warnings.
1 / 0High wind, storms and snow pummel parts of the US on March 12Snow falls outside the Iowa State Capitol on March 11, 2026, in Des Moines.
Storm forecast: Wild weather sweeps the US, with more storms and heat in the forecast
Heat watches
In contrast, parts of the Southwest are under heat advisories and watches.
Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson are under extreme heat watches, while Los Angeles and San Diego are under heat advisories.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See the 'March megastorm' watches and warnings
Source: “AOL Breaking”
