Watch huge hailstones fall after a severe storm
Video posted online captured the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that brought large hail to parts of Illinois.
Severe weather gripped much of the United States on March 12 as a combination of weather patterns dumped snow in the Northwest, scorched the Southwest, gusted winds as high as 90 mph east of the Rocky Mountains, and caused dramatic temperature swings along the East Coast.
We expect similar things to happen in the future, so be prepared. Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, told USA TODAY that snowstorms are expected in the Northern Plains and Great Lakes over the weekend of March 14-15, with another round of storms and cold in the East.
After storms spawned deadly tornadoes and 6 inches of hail in Indiana and Illinois earlier in the week, a very strong front moved through the East on March 12, causing major weather changes in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas.
At Reagan National Airport, temperatures of 77 degrees at 2 a.m. turned to heavy snow about 12 hours later, with snow actually accumulating in grassy areas, Oravec said. On the same day, the airport broke the record for the highest temperature when snow was observed by more than 10 degrees.
“We went from summer weather to winter weather in less than 24 hours. It was pretty dramatic,” said Oravec from the Prediction Center’s office in College Park, Maryland.
Oravec added, “This is the time of year when you see such a big contrast. But in all the years I’ve been here, I can hardly remember a day when it got close to 80 degrees and then it snowed.”
southeast storm
On March 12, strong winds and downed trees were reported across large areas of Georgia and the Carolinas, particularly along the coast of North Carolina.
Multiple structures were destroyed or damaged and injuries were reported in Bayboro, Pamlico County, North Carolina. At one point, more than two-thirds of the county was without power, according to USA TODAY’s power outage tracking information. Meteorologists from the local weather station in Morehead City are scheduled to leave on the morning of March 13 to assess damage in areas where the tornado may have occurred. However, the office warned that it may be difficult to distinguish between damage caused by high winds and damage caused by a passing tornado.
Other damage reported to the Bureau of Meteorology includes:
- IRMO, SC – Multiple trees were down and structural damage to a home was reported.
- GREENVILLE, N.C. – A home under construction partially collapsed.
- ASHTON, Ga. – Two people were injured after a shed collapsed.
Strong winds expected across western United States
High wind advisories are in effect for parts of the West, including Colorado, Montana and the Dakotas.
- Wind gusts of 99 mph were reported in Pinnacle, Flathead County, Montana.
- On March 11, at least seven counties in Colorado experienced wind gusts exceeding 125 mph, including Sunshine in Boulder County, which experienced wind gusts of 92 mph.
- Colorado State University announced that it will close early on March 12th and remain closed on the 13th to assess damage caused by strong winds in the Fort Collins area.
weekend weather forecast
“Heavy snow and blizzard conditions will occur across the northern Plains and Great Lakes this weekend,” Oravec said.
Meanwhile, the upper ridges are expected to set new high temperature records for much of next week across much of California and the Southwest.
Dinah Boyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about violent weather, climate change and other news. Contact dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or dinahvp.77 on X or Signal.
