NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

MARCH 2026

1-5: An early-season outbreak of severe weather struck from March 5-7, starting on the central and southern Plains and later spreading across the mid-South and lower Midwest. More than two dozen tornadoes were observed, according to preliminary reports, and several tornado-related fatalities occurred on March 6 in northeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Michigan. Heavy rain accompanied the stormy weather, with totals of 2 to 6 inches or more reported from the Ozark Plateau into the Ohio Valley. In the latter region, the most extensive lowland (Continued from front cover) flooding developed in southern Indiana along the White River and its tributaries. However, in many areas across the eastern half of the U.S., rain boosted topsoil moisture, following a very dry winter.

An initial surge of moisture southeastward from the Northwest delivered daily-record precipitation totals for March 2 in Wyoming locations such as Rawlins (0.67 inch) and Big Piney (0.28 inch). A day later in Colorado, record-setting amounts for March 3 reached 0.74 inch in Colorado Springs and 0.73 inch in Pueblo. Springfield, IL, also received a daily-record sum (2.32 inches) for March 3. Elsewhere in Illinois, Lincoln followed its record-dry February (0.08 inch, or 4 percent of normal) with precipitation totaling 2.36 inches during the first 7 days of March. Central and southern Indiana also received an initial round of heavy rain, with Indianapolis netting a daily-record sum (2.59 inches) for March 3. March 1-7 rainfall topped 5 inches in Indianapolis (5.03 inches), along with Shelbyville, IN (5.32 inches). The East Fork White River at Rivervale, IN, crested 13.08 feet above flood stage on March 8, the highest level in that location since April 9, 2025, and before that, June 10, 2008. Additional rain fell in many of the same areas during the mid- to late-week period. On March 4, daily-record amounts reached 1.74 inches in Springfield, MO, and 1.55 inches in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX. A day later, record-setting totals for March 5 included 2.27 inches in Evansville, IN, and 1.78 inches in Cape Girardeau, MO. March 5 was a very wet day in portions of the middle and northern Atlantic States, where daily-record totals climbed to 1.65 inches in Allentown, PA, and 1.62 inches in Newark, NJ. On March 6, the most significant day of severe weather, daily-record totals ranged from 1 to 2 inches in Joplin, MO (1.89 inches); Des Moines, IA (1.69 inches); Grand Rapids, MI (1.55 inches); Rockford, IL (1.21 inches); and Rochester, MN (1.16 inches). Two fatalities were reported on March 6 in Okmulgee County, OK, near Beggs, where an EF3 tornado carved a 6.8-mile path with winds estimated as high as 140 mph. Earlier in the day, a pair of deadly tornadoes had resulted in four fatalities in southwestern Michigan, with the stronger twister— an EF3 with winds estimated near 160 mph—staying on the ground for about 5.2 miles in Branch County, near Union City. The parade of daily precipitation records continued, but shifted southward, on March 7, when totals included 3.27 inches in McComb, MS; 2.29 inches in Houston, TX; 2.06 inches in Fayetteville, AR; and 1.73 inches in Paducah, KY.

Precipitation was more consistent across southeastern Alaska, where March 1-7 totals included 2.84 inches in Juneau and 2.81 inches in Sitka. Juneau also received 21.7 inches of snow, with a peak depth of 21 inches on the morning of March 5. Farther south, March started quietly in Hawaii’s leeward locations, with no measurable rain falling during the first 7 days of the month in Honolulu, Oahu, and Kahului, Maui. On the Big Island, Hilo’s March 1-7 rainfall totaled 1.51 inches (50 percent of normal).

8-14: An active storm track across the North led to widespread precipitation, including spring snow, especially late in the week. Precipitation was heaviest across the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, although heavy, wind-driven snow enveloped the upper Great Lakes region by March 15. Meanwhile, streaks of heavy rain occurred across the Midwest and South, with more than 2 inches falling in many areas.

Mostly dry weather prevailed across the nation’s southwestern quadrant. Increasingly windy weather accompanied the weather regime, contributing to a rash of wildfires. Northeast of Sidney, NE, the Morrill Fire was reported on March 12 and soon consumed more than 572,000 acres of cured vegetation, becoming the largest wildfire in modern state history. From March 10-12, an outbreak of severe weather spanned areas along and east of a line from central Texas to southeastern Iowa. As many as three dozen tornadoes occurred on each of the first 2 days of the outbreak, but massive hail was a prominent feature on March 10, when stones up to 6 inches in diameter pounded areas near Kankakee, IL. Additionally, an EF3 tornado cut across 36.4 miles from near Kankakee into Jasper County, IN, resulting in three fatalities.

heavy showers dotted the Gulf Coast region. Record setting rainfall totals for March 8 reached 2.53 inches in Victoria, TX, and 2.10 inches in Mobile, AL. As a severe weather outbreak began on March 10, daily-record totals topped an inch in locations such as Abilene, TX (1.70 inches); Muskegon, MI (1.16 inches); and Chicago, IL (1.02 inches). Record-setting amounts for March 11 reached 2.63 inches in Longview, TX; 1.53 inches in Zanesville, OH; and 1.38 inches in Wheeling, WV. Meanwhile, heavy precipitation arrived in the Pacific Northwest, where daily-record amounts for the 11th included 2.17 inches in Olympia, WA, and 1.91 inches in Astoria, OR. Elsewhere in Oregon, Portland netted daily-record amounts on March 11 and 12, totaling 2.88 inches. Similarly, Lewistown, MT, collected consecutive daily-record totals (0.58 and 0.55 inch, respectively) on March 12 and 13, with precipitation changing to snow during the event. Lewistown also clocked a westerly wind gust to 82 mph on March 12. Other peak gusts on the 12th included 92 mph in Cheyenne, WY; 88 mph in Hettinger, ND; 87 mph in Miles City, MT; 84 mph in Buffalo, SD; 80 mph in Great Falls, MT; 75 mph in Dickinson, ND; and 70 mph in Sidney, NE. Heavy precipitation continued in Washington through March 13, when daily-record amounts reached 1.84 inches in Pullman, 1.80 inches in Olympia, and 1.22 inches in Seattle. Some precipitation fell as snow in Seattle, where 3.0 inches accumulated. Elsewhere, daily-record snowfall totals for March 13 included 10.4 inches in Gaylord, MI; 9.0 inches in Rhinelander, WI; 7.3 inches in Spokane, WA; and 7.0 inches in Billings, MT. Billings received 12.4 inches of snow from March 12-14, while Great Falls, MT, netted 11.7 inches.

In southeastern Alaska, Juneau posted a daily-record low of 0°F on March 13, shortly after receiving 11.2 inches of snow from March 8-11. Farther south, a powerful “kona low” delivered multiple days of heavy rain, starting on March 10 on Kauai and reaching the Big Island by the end of the week. Each of the four major airport observation sites had at least one day with rainfall totaling more than 5 inches. March 13 was one of the wettest days in state history for leeward locations, with totals of 5.47 inches in Lihue, Kauai; 5.51 inches in Honolulu, Oahu; and 7.40 inches in Kahului, Maui. On the Big Island, Hilo netted 5.60 inches on March 14. The March 13 total in Kahului was a station record for any calendar day, surpassing 6.40 inches on December 20, 2017. Previously, Kahului’s wettest March day had been March 14, 1968, with 4.94 inches. Kahului also achieved a monthly rainfall record, with 15.14 inches falling by March 14. Previously, January 1980 had been Kahului’s wettest month, with 14.46 inches. The bulk of Kahului’s rain, 13.22 inches, fell on March 13-14, and was accompanied by southerly wind gusts as high as 67 mph. Significant snow fell on the Big Island summits, while a wind gust to 79 mph was clocked on March 14 at Keahole Kona International Airport.

15-21: From the West Coast to the Plains, any precipitation was light, except in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. Variable precipitation fell from the Mississippi Valley eastward, with some of the highest totals (locally 1 to 2 inches) observed early in the week in the Atlantic Coast States. Additionally, heavy snow blanketed parts of the upper Midwest and the upper Great Lakes region as the week began. On March 15-16, a rash of severe thunderstorms preceded and accompanied a strong cold front crossing the eastern half of the country. More than 50 tornadoes were tallied, based on preliminary reports, while hundreds of reports of wind damage were catalogued from the middle and lower Mississippi Valley to the middle and southern Atlantic Coast.

March 15-16 was the snowiest 2-day period in Marquette, MI, where the 36.3-inch sum surpassed the previous record of 31.9 inches, set on March 13-14, 1997. By the morning of March 17, Marquette’s snow depth peaked at 51 inches. On March 15, daily-record snowfall totals included 23.4 inches in Wausau, WI; 17.1 inches in Green Bay, WI; 12.4 inches in Rochester, MN; 10.2 inches in Gaylord, MI; and 5.5 inches in Huron, SD. For Wausau, it was also the snowiest day on record, surpassing 15.7 inches on February 12, 2019. Additionally, Wausau’s month-to-date snowfall climbed to 37.9 inches, edging the March 1956 standard of 36.2 inches. Outside of the small area of heavy snow, locally significant rain fell. Record-setting totals for March 15 reached 1.94 inches in Muskegon, MI; 1.92 inches in Punta Gorda, FL; and 1.76 inches in Chicago, IL. Precipitation briefly ended as snow in Muskegon and Chicago. By March 16, daily-record totals in the Atlantic Coast States included 2.20 inches in Alma, GA; 2.00 inches in Mount Pocono, PA; and 1.66 inches in Wilmington, NC. In the central Appalachians and environs, daily-record snowfall for March 16 totaled 3.5 inches in Beckley, WV, and 2.1 inches in Jackson, KY. Elsewhere, periods of precipitation in the Pacific Northwest led to daily-record totals in parts of western Washington, including Hoquiam (2.30 inches on March 17). By week’s end, Hoquiam’s month-to date rainfall rose to 10.72 inches.

Juneau’s March 2007 snowfall record of 62.7 inches was broken on the 22nd, when an additional 3.6 inches fell.) Farther south, Hawaii’s stormy regime continued, with several northern Oahu communities—including Haleʻiwa and Waialua—being evacuated due to the potential failure of Wahiawa Dam. Honolulu, Oahu, netted a daily-record sum of 2.50 inches on March 20, helping to boost its month-to-date rainfall to 13.41 inches (789 percent of normal). Honolulu’s wettest month on record remains March 1951, when 20.79 inches fell. Elsewhere, March 1-21 rainfall ranged from 12.06 inches (136 percent of normal) in Hilo, on the Big Island, to 19.92 inches (1,065 percent) in Kahului, Maui. Heavy rain and local flooding returned to Maui on March 21, when Kahului’s 3.23-inch sum was a record for the date. Prior to this year, Kahului’s highest March rainfall had been 10.90 inches in 1967, while the highest total during any month had been 14.46 inches in January 1980.

22-28: One precipitation stretched from the eastern Corn Belt into southern New England, where as much as 1 to 3 inches fell. On March 22 and 26, severe weather outbreaks across the lower Midwest and environs led to localized wind and hail damage.

Precipitation highlights were limited, although New Philadelphia, OH, collected a record-setting sum (1.24 inches) for March 26. In West Virginia, daily-record amounts for March 27 included 1.34 inches in Morgantown and 0.87 inch in Clarksburg. Through the 28th, the month-to-date total of 6.18 inches in Pittsburgh, PA, clipped its March 1967 record of 6.10 inches. Earlier, enough precipitation had clipped the Pacific Northwest to result in a daily-record sum (0.99 inch) for Seattle, WA, on March 24.

southeastern Alaska, Juneau received a final round of snow (9.3 inches) from March 22-24, leaving the month-to-date total at 69.5 inches. Previously, Juneau’s snowiest March had occurred in 2007, with 62.7 inches. Late in the week, milder air began to overspread western Alaska, excluding the Aleutians. Farther south, Hawaii settled into a favorably drier regime, following recent downpours. Despite a mostly dry week, March 1-28 rainfall at the state’s major airport observation sites ranged from 13.27 inches (116 percent of normal) at Hilo, on the Big Island, to 21.10 inches (876 percent) in Kahului, Maui. Prior to this year, Kahului’s highest March rainfall had been 10.90 inches in 1967, while the highest total during any month had been 14.46 inches in January 1980.

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com