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Mid-March 2025 North American blizzard

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Mid-March 2025 North American blizzard
Satellite image of the blizzard over the Midwest on March 19
Meteorological history
FormedMarch 17, 2025
DissipatedMarch 21, 2025
Blizzard
Lowest pressure984 hPa (mbar); 29.06 inHg[3]
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion26.77 in (68.0 cm), near Mammoth Lakes, California[1][2]
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes13
Maximum ratingEF2 tornado
DurationMarch 19, 2025
Highest windsTornadic – 112 mph (180 km/h) (Bartholomew County, Indiana EF2 on March 19)[4]
Largest hail1.25 inches (3.2 cm) in Ames, Iowa[5]
Overall effects
Part of the 2024–25 North American winter

A strong winter storm, nicknamed Winter Storm Nyla by The Weather Channel,[2] produced significant impacts across the United States. Notably, a strong blizzard occurred over the High Plains and Midwest, where winter weather and blizzard warnings were issued.[6] Thunderstorm development created the risk for severe weather and tornadoes, especially in northern Illinois and Indiana.[7] At least 13 tornadoes have touched down.[4]

Meteorological history

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On March 17, the NWS forecasted that a relatively strong upper-level trough would move into California by the afternoon, with updrafts strong enough and instability high enough to produce lightning and small hail.[8] That day, lightning, snow, and hail up to an inch in diameter were reported across northern California.[9][10] The trough passed through California and the Great Basin area throughout the afternoon of the 18th, placing the system over the Midwest by the late evening. Moisture was present in the air, but due to limited atmospheric instability, the primary threat would be potentially severe hail centered over Iowa in the overnight and morning hours.[11] On the morning of the 19th, large amounts of up to quarter-sized hail fell across parts of Iowa.[12][5] Additionally, large amounts of snow fell in a relatively narrow band stretching from Kansas to Wisconsin.[13][6] Coupled with high winds, whiteout conditions were created in some of these areas.[6][14] Thundersnow was reported in these areas.[2][15]

By the afternoon of the 19th, atmospheric destabilization occurred ahead of a cold front and dry line, allowing for widespread thunderstorm development over central Illinois. High winds brought by the system allowed for supercell development, although their strength was limited due to relatively low instability and moisture in the air following a larger outbreak days earlier. However, the environment remained volatile and tornadoes, potentially strong, remained a possibility throughout the afternoon.[7] At least 13 tornadoes have been reported, including at least three to have passed through Gary, Indiana and one EF2 tornado,[16] the strongest of the outbreak. The strongest of the Gary tornadoes, rated EF1, caused an injury when a roof collapsed on a woman.[17][4]

Impact

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Blizzard conditions and downed power lines from strong winds forced parts Interstate 70 and Interstate 80 to shut down.[where?] Dust transported from northern Mexico and Texas caused poor air quality as far away as Iowa. Over 250,000 people across the country have been left without power due to the storm.[2]

At least 38 wildfires have broken out across Arkansas, causing the obstruction or closure of many roads.[18]

Three tornadoes struck Gary, Indiana on March 19. Damage was sustained to the McCullough Academy, a public school, as a tornado sheared its roof and damaged several classrooms and the gymnasium. Another tornado injured a woman after her roof collapsed. A shelter was established at the Monroe Center for those displaced by the tornadoes.[19]

Confirmed tornadoes

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Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita rating
EFU EF0 EF1 EF2 EF3 EF4 EF5 Total
1 8 4 1 0 0 0 14

March 19 event

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List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, March 19, 2025[a]
EF# Location County / Parish State Start Coord. Time (UTC) Path length Max width
EFU ESE of Banner Tazewell IL 40°29′57″N 89°50′49″W / 40.4993°N 89.847°W / 40.4993; -89.847 (Banner (Mar. 19, EFU)) 19:49–19:50 0.56 mi (0.90 km) 30 yd (27 m)
A video of this brief tornado was recorded but no damage was found.[20][21]
EF1 N of Rardin Coles IL 39°36′29″N 88°06′35″W / 39.6081°N 88.1098°W / 39.6081; -88.1098 (Rardin (Mar. 19, EF1)) 21:52–21:54 0.72 mi (1.16 km) 50 yd (46 m)
A farm outbuilding was destroyed and siding was torn from a house.[20][21]
EF0 Southeastern Joliet Will IL 41°29′22″N 88°03′37″W / 41.4895°N 88.0604°W / 41.4895; -88.0604 (Joliet (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:00–22:01 0.24 mi (0.39 km) 90 yd (82 m)
This brief tornado caused shingle damage to a home, uprooted trees, and tossed metal panels and parts of a carport over 200 yards (180 m). One vehicle was also blown over before the tornado dissipated.[20][17]
EF0 Eastern Frankfort Will IL 41°29′13″N 87°47′39″W / 41.487°N 87.7943°W / 41.487; -87.7943 (Frankfort (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:18–22:19 0.33 mi (0.53 km) 75 yd (69 m)
This brief tornado moved through a residential area near a forest preserve, breaking branches and uprooting a few small trees before dissipating.[20][17]
EF1 Steger Will IL 41°27′45″N 87°39′10″W / 41.4624°N 87.6528°W / 41.4624; -87.6528 (Steger (Mar. 19, EF1)) 22:28–22:30 1.64 mi (2.64 km) 90 yd (82 m)
This tornado moved east-northeast through residential and commercial areas, causing shingle damage to multiple homes and removing part of a metal warehouse roof with debris scattered across nearby railroad tracks. Damage elsewhere included broken branches and minor tree damage before the tornado dissipated.[20][17]
EF0 Lynwood Cook IL 41°31′00″N 87°33′48″W / 41.5167°N 87.5632°W / 41.5167; -87.5632 (Lynwood (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:35–22:36 0.29 mi (0.47 km) 50 yd (46 m)
This brief tornado damaged the roofs of two industrial buildings and scattered debris across the area before lifting shortly after crossing a roadway.[20][17]
EF0 Highland Lake IN 41°32′20″N 87°28′23″W / 41.539°N 87.473°W / 41.539; -87.473 (Highland (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:43–22:45 1.87 mi (3.01 km) 50 yd (46 m)
This high-end EF0 tornado touched down near a commercial area, damaging a roof before moving through residential neighborhoods where it broke branches, damaged shingles, and uprooted a few trees. One large tree fell onto a home, causing roof damage, and fences were also affected. The tornado weakened as it continued northeast, with lighter tree damage before dissipating.[20][17]
EF0 Black Oak Lake IN 41°33′55″N 87°24′44″W / 41.5654°N 87.4123°W / 41.5654; -87.4123 (Black Oak (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:46–22:47 0.44 mi (0.71 km) 50 yd (46 m)
This tornado struck the Gary neighborhood of Black Oak. Two large trees were uprooted and the glass doors of a casino were blown out.[20][17]
EF1 Tolleston Lake IN 41°34′39″N 87°23′25″W / 41.5775°N 87.3902°W / 41.5775; -87.3902 (Tolleston (Mar. 19, EF1)) 22:47–22:48 0.73 mi (1.17 km) 50 yd (46 m)
This high-end EF1 tornado in the Gary neighborhood of Tolleston caused significant damage, ripping the roof off a school gymnasium, damaging several homes, and bending power poles and light fixtures. One person was injured when part of a roof collapsed.[20][17]
EF0 Downtown Gary Lake IN 41°34′39″N 87°23′25″W / 41.5775°N 87.3902°W / 41.5775; -87.3902 (Downtown Gary (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:50–22:52 1.86 mi (2.99 km) 50 yd (46 m)
This brief tornado moved through downtown Gary, uprooting several small trees and scattering tree debris across roadways near Norton Park and east of the business district. It weakened and dissipated before reaching the US 12.[20][17]
EF0 S of Logansport Cass IN 40°43′17″N 86°21′21″W / 40.7213°N 86.3559°W / 40.7213; -86.3559 (Logansport (Mar. 19, EF0)) 23:54–23:55 0.89 mi (1.43 km) 50 yd (46 m)
A weak tornado caused minor shingle and fence damage between two homes, bent a TV tower, and later uprooted or snapped about twenty shallow-rooted trees in a wooded area before lifting in an open field.[20][22]
EF0 NE of Macy to SSW of Akron Miami, Fulton IN 40°59′15″N 86°04′52″W / 40.9874°N 86.0812°W / 40.9874; -86.0812 (Macy (Mar. 19, EF0)) 00:20–00:23 2.72 mi (4.38 km) 100 yd (91 m)
This high-end EF0 tornado touched down in a wooded area, flipping an outbuilding and scattering debris. It reached peak intensity near a barn that sustained extensive damage, with roofing and siding materials thrown across fields. The tornado continued northeast, flipping sections of an irrigation system and causing tree damage before dissipating.[20][22]
EF2 W of Rosstown to S of Newbern Bartholomew IN 39°06′20″N 85°56′46″W / 39.1056°N 85.946°W / 39.1056; -85.946 (Rosstown (Mar. 19, EF2)) 00:44–00:57 13.55 mi (21.81 km) 350 yd (320 m)
This low-end EF2 tornado began near I-65 and tracked northeast to near Hartsville, producing mostly weak damage. The tornado reached peak intensity upon collapsing metal farm buildings and lofting debris up to half a mile. Along its path, several utility poles were broken and small metal transmission towers were twisted before the tornado dissipated.[20][23]
EF1 Southern Hebron to WSW of Villa Hills Boone KY 39°02′28″N 84°42′13″W / 39.0412°N 84.7037°W / 39.0412; -84.7037 (Hebron (Mar. 19, EF1)) 02:54–02:56 3.15 mi (5.07 km) 90 yd (82 m)
This tornado touched down at an industrial site in the far southern part of Hebron, west of KY 237, partially removing a roof and uprooting trees. Moving east-northeastward, the tornado struck Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport where it caused extensive wall and roof damage to a building, shifted a Boeing 747 five feet, and damaged a dozen cars from flying debris. The tornado also damaged HVAC systems and more trees before lifting.[24]

Non-tornadic effects

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An intense dirty rain event was caused by the system; dust, as well as wildfire smoke, was lofted into the atmosphere by the system, which fell as rain over a large region.[25] Dirty rain was reported in Chicago, Illinois,[26] Des Moines, Iowa,[27] Nashville, Tennessee,[28] and Toledo, Ohio.[29]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.

References

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  1. ^ WPC Event Review/Winter Storm Archive (Prototype). National Weather Service (Report). 25 March 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Dolce, Chris (19 March 2025). "Winter Storm Brings Gusty Winds, Heavy Snow Across Plains And Upper Midwest". The Weather Channel.
  3. ^ "WPC surface analysis zoom, pan, animation and archives". wpc.ncep.noaa.gov. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c SPC Storm Reports for 03/19/25. National Weather Service (Report). 19 March 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Iowa weather: Photos of hail that fell in central Iowa Wednesday morning". KCCI8. 19 March 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Steven Yablonski; Hayley Vawter (19 March 2025). "Blizzard hammering central US leads to highway closures in at least 3 states". Fox Weather. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  7. ^ a b Bentley (19 March 2025). Mar 19, 2025 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook. National Weather Service (Report). Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  8. ^ Darrow; Moore (17 March 2025). Mar 17, 2025 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook. National Weather Service (Report). Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  9. ^ SPC Storm Reports for 03/17/25. National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center (Report). 17 March 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  10. ^ Macht, Daniel (17 March 2025). "Viewer Videos: St. Patrick's Day thunderstorms drop hail across Northern California". KCRA3. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  11. ^ Darrow; Moore (18 March 2025). Mar 18, 2025 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook. National Weather Service (Report). Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  12. ^ Dolce, Chris (19 March 2025). "Severe Thunderstorms Return To Midwest With Wind Damage, Hail And Tornado Threats, Including Illinois, Indiana". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  13. ^ Snowfall Reports from the Last 72 Hours. National Weather Service (Report). Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  14. ^ "Snow creates whiteout conditions in Hastings, Nebraska". Fox Weather. 19 March 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  15. ^ @accuweather (March 19, 2025). "A blizzard is unfolding in the Central Plains this morning, with heavy snow, thundersnow, reports of trees down, and wind gusts to 70 mph" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ National Weather Service in Indianapolis, Indiana (March 20, 2025). NWS Damage Survey for 03/19/2025 Tornado Event (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (March 20, 2025). NWS Damage Survey for 3/19/2025 Tornado Event (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  18. ^ Ryan Turbeville; Cate Skinner (19 March 2025). "Crews fighting dozens of wildfires across Arkansas". KARK. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  19. ^ Feurer, Todd (20 March 2025). "8 tornadoes confirmed from Wednesday storms; 4 in Northwest Indiana, 3 in Will County, 1 in Cook County". CBS News. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Various National Weather Service offices (2025). "Damage Assessment Toolkit" (Interactive map and database). DAT. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  21. ^ a b National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois (March 20, 2025). NWS Damage Survey for 03/19/2025 Tornado Event (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  22. ^ a b National Weather Service in Syracuse, Indiana (March 23, 2025). NWS Damage Survey for 03/19/25 Severe Storm Event - Update #3 (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  23. ^ National Weather Service in Indianapolis, Indiana (March 20, 2025). NWS Damage Survey for 03/19/2025 Tornado Event (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  24. ^ National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio (March 20, 2025). NWS Damage Survey for 03/19/2025 Tornado Event (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  25. ^ "What's with the DIRTY RAIN falling?". National Weather Service La Crosse, Wisconsin. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  26. ^ "Chicago-area residents notice unusually dirty cars and windows after severe storms". NBC. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  27. ^ Kealey, Kate (19 March 2025). "Why is the rain brown? Wednesday's storm dirties cars and sidewalks across Iowa". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  28. ^ Libby, Alex. "Dirty Rain: Why some cars in Tennessee looked so dusty on Thursday". WKRN.
  29. ^ Vickers, Chris; Bailey, Andrew (19 March 2025). "Dust storm from southern US mixes with Midwest storm system to cover northwest Ohio in 'dirty rain'". WTOL. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
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