Severe storms pummel parts of US with snow and high winds and raise tornado threat

CHICAGO (AP) — A severe weather front sweeping across much of the eastern half of the U.S. has dumped heavy snow around the Upper Midwest, spawned thunderstorms in the South and is threatening several mid-Atlantic states with heavy rain and possible tornadoes. Roads were impassable in the Upper Midwest and more than 2,000 flights were canceled nationwide. The storm chain brought blizzard conditions on Sunday to the Upper Midwest, with dangerous winds elsewhere and the threat of severe storms heading east. Heavy snow piled up in portions of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The National Weather Service is warning about the threat of severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and likely tornadoes along the East Coast on Monday (March 16, 2026), particularly from Maryland to South Carolina.