Meteorologists are warning that a powerful storm system sweeping across the US on Monday could affect nearly 200 million Americans.
AccuWeather forecasters have labeled the system a ‘triple-threat March megastorm,’ as a volatile mix of powerful winds, heavy snow, rain and plunging temperatures spreads across a vast portion of the country.
The storm is expected to hammer the Midwest and Great Lakes with heavy snow and whiteout conditions, while unleashing damaging wind gusts across much of the central and eastern US.
Severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and large hail are also forecast across parts of the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys.
Those storms are expected to push east later Monday, with the highest severe weather risk centered over the Mid-Atlantic.
Meteorologists warned the sprawling system could cause major travel disruptions, widespread power outages and dangerous driving conditions from the Plains to the East Coast. Wind gusts approaching 80 mph in some areas could topple trees and power lines, further increasing the threat of outages.
Several major airports, including Atlanta (ATL) and Charlotte (CLT), issued ground stops Monday morning due to severe thunderstorms, temporarily halting incoming flights.
After the storm passes, a blast of Arctic air is expected to sweep across the Plains, Midwest and Northeast, sending temperatures tumbling well below seasonal averages. In cities like New York and Philadelphia, daytime highs later this week could struggle to reach the low 40s, roughly 10 degrees below normal for mid-March.
Heavy snow has already begun spreading across parts of the Midwest and is expected to intensify through Monday as the storm tracks toward the Great Lakes. Pictured is the Green Bay area on Sunday
The megastorm could affect nearly 200 million Americans as a volatile mix of powerful winds, heavy snow, rain and plunging temperatures sweeps across the country
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said in a statement: ‘People also need to be prepared for prolonged and additional power outages as there are many customers across Ohio and Western Pennsylvania who are still without power Sunday morning from strong winds on Friday.’
The storm is pulling warm, moisture-laden air from the Gulf of Mexico while colliding with a surge of cold Arctic air moving south from Canada, creating the unstable conditions needed for blizzards in the north and severe storms farther south.
More than 127,000 people were without power in Michigan as of Monday morning, along with 54,000 in Ohio and 44,000 in Pennsylvania.
Heavy snow has already begun spreading across parts of the Midwest and is expected to intensify through Monday as the storm tracks toward the Great Lakes.
The heaviest snowfall is forecast across Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where snowfall totals could exceed one to three feet in localized areas.
Some areas of the Upper Midwest could see snowfall rates of up to four inches per hour, quickly burying roads and reducing visibility to near zero.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said: ‘Many locations across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan still have 20-50 inches of snow on the ground, prior to the arrival of the current storm.
Wind gusts approaching 80 mph in some areas could topple trees and power lines, further increasing the threat of outages. The storm hit parts of Indiana on Sunday, toppling trees
‘After the megastorm moves through, some locales may be able to hold onto snowpack well into the month of April, possibly into May.’
Meteorologists warned that strong winds combined with the snow will create true blizzard conditions, with visibility dropping below a quarter mile for extended periods.
Cities including Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Marquette, Michigan, could experience significant travel disruptions due to blowing snow and high winds that make roads treacherous.
Snowfall rates may reach three to four inches per hour, rapidly accumulating on highways and complicating plowing.
Beyond the snow belt, powerful winds are expected to sweep across a broad swath of the country.
Gusts of up to 50 mph are forecast across much of the Midwest and East Coast, while some areas could see gusts approaching 80 mph as the storm intensifies.
Such winds are strong enough to down trees, snap power lines and damage buildings, particularly in areas already weakened by recent storms.
Millions of people could also face the risk of power outages, especially in parts of Ohio and western Pennsylvania, where some communities are still recovering from strong winds that knocked out electricity earlier in the week.
The heaviest snowfall is forecast across Wisconsin (PICTURED) and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where snowfall totals could exceed one to three feet in localized areas
Severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and large hail are also forecast across parts of the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys. Tornadoes have been plaguing several states this month. Pictured is damage in Illinois on March 12
Meteorologists warned that additional outages could occur as the new storm moves through.
Air travel may also be heavily affected. Major airport hubs, including Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC and Charlotte, could experience delays or cancellations due to strong winds, low visibility, and severe storms along the system’s path.
FlightAware shows 813 delays and 353 flight cancellations as of Monday morning.
Chicago O’Hare (ORD) has implemented a ground stop due to snow and ice.
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) reported average delays of nearly two and a half hours because of strong winds.
Meanwhile, airports such as Newark (EWR), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA) reported departure delays as storms and low visibility affected operations.
The southern side of the storm system is expected to generate severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes across parts of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
These storms could bring sudden bursts of heavy rain and dangerous lightning as the warm and cold air masses collide.
