U.S. Severe Weather Sweeps Coast to Coast: Flights Grounded, Power Outages, Heat Dome in Southwest

As of March 17, 2026, 08:30 AM ET, U.S. severe weather systems ranged from blizzards in the Midwest to a heat dome over the Southwest, placing more than half the nation in the path of hazardous conditions and prompting widespread travel disruptions.

Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated over 200 million people faced some form of dangerous weather Monday. Nearly 13,000 flights were reported canceled or delayed nationwide, and tracking service FlightAware said that by 6 a.m. Tuesday more than 2,100 flights remained affected. A partial government shutdown was reported to be straining Transportation Security Administration staffing, contributing to security checkpoint congestion.

Utility tracker Poweroutage.com reported more than 500,000 customers without electricity early Tuesday, concentrated in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. In the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region, blizzard conditions dumped feet of snow in parts of Wisconsin and Michigan; the town of Mountain, Wisconsin, recorded nearly 3 feet since Saturday. The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes in Missouri; an EF0 event and storm damage were also reported near Charlotte, North Carolina. In New York City, officials said a wind-driven apartment fire on Monday killed four people, including a child.

Across the West, a heat dome was forecast to push Arizona into triple digits, with Phoenix facing consecutive 100-degree days. Heavy rain battered Hawaii, producing landslides and localized flooding—some Maui locations recorded more than 30 inches—while Nebraska faced grassland fires that have consumed over 1,140 square miles. Forecasters warned colder air and wind chills would follow the East Coast storms, with rain changing to snow in parts of the central Appalachians.