Mid-March 2025 North American blizzard

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Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
Disc Plain black.svg Tropical cyclone
Solid black.svg Subtropical cyclone
ArrowUp.svg Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

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. [3] [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] 15 tornadoes were confirmed, including three that 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]

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. [18] Dirty rain was reported in Chicago, Illinois, [19] Des Moines, Iowa, [20] Nashville, Tennessee, [21] and Toledo, Ohio. [22]

Impact

Mid-March 2025 North American blizzard
Mid-March 2025 North American blizzard 2025-03-19 2200Z.jpg
Satellite image of the blizzard over the Midwest on March 19

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. [3]

At least 38 wildfires have broken out across Arkansas, causing the obstruction or closure of many roads. [23]

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. [24]

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita rating
EFUEF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Total
194100015

March 19 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, March 19, 2025 [a]
EF# LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax width
EFUESE of Banner Tazewell IL 40°30′N89°51′W / 40.5°N 89.85°W / 40.5; -89.85 (Banner (Mar. 19, EFU)) 19:49–19:500.67 mi (1.08 km)30 yd (27 m)
A video of this brief tornado was recorded but no damage was found. [25]
EF1N of Rardin Coles IL 39°36′29″N88°06′36″W / 39.608°N 88.11°W / 39.608; -88.11 (Rardin (Mar. 19, EF1)) 21:52–21:540.72 mi (1.16 km)50 yd (46 m)
A farm outbuilding was destroyed and siding was torn from a house. [26]
EF0Southeastern Joliet Will IL 41°29′22″N88°03′37″W / 41.4895°N 88.0604°W / 41.4895; -88.0604 (Joliet (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:00–22:010.25 mi (0.40 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 yd (180 m). One vehicle was also blown over before the tornado dissipated. [27]
EF0Eastern New Lenox Will IL 41°29′54″N87°56′56″W / 41.4984°N 87.9488°W / 41.4984; -87.9488 (New Lenox (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:10–22:211.53 mi (2.46 km)60 yd (55 m)
A weak tornado caused damage to shingles, trees, and fencing. [28]
EF0Eastern Frankfort Will IL 41°29′13″N87°47′39″W / 41.487°N 87.7943°W / 41.487; -87.7943 (Frankfort (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:18–22:190.33 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. [29]
EF1 Steger Will IL 41°27′45″N87°39′10″W / 41.4624°N 87.6528°W / 41.4624; -87.6528 (Steger (Mar. 19, EF1)) 22:28–22:301.62 mi (2.61 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. [30]
EF0 Lynwood Cook IL 41°31′00″N87°33′48″W / 41.5167°N 87.5632°W / 41.5167; -87.5632 (Lynwood (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:35–22:360.29 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. [31]
EF0 Highland Lake IN 41°32′20″N87°28′23″W / 41.539°N 87.473°W / 41.539; -87.473 (Highland (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:43–22:451.85 mi (2.98 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. [32]
EF0Southwestern Gary (1st tornado) Lake IN 41°33′55″N87°24′44″W / 41.5654°N 87.4123°W / 41.5654; -87.4123 (Gary #1 (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:46–22:470.44 mi (0.71 km)50 yd (46 m)
This tornado struck the neighborhood of Black Oak. Two large trees were uprooted and the glass doors of a casino were blown out. [33]
EF1 Gary (2nd tornado) Lake IN 41°34′39″N87°23′25″W / 41.5775°N 87.3902°W / 41.5775; -87.3902 (Gary #2 (Mar. 19, EF1)) 22:47–22:480.71 mi (1.14 km)50 yd (46 m)
This high-end EF1 tornado occurred in the 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. [34]
EF0 Gary (3rd tornado) Lake IN 41°35′23″N87°21′05″W / 41.5897°N 87.3515°W / 41.5897; -87.3515 (Gary #3 (Mar. 19, EF0)) 22:50–22:521.83 mi (2.95 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 US 12. [35]
EF0S of Logansport Cass IN 40°43′17″N86°21′21″W / 40.7213°N 86.3559°W / 40.7213; -86.3559 (Logansport (Mar. 19, EF0)) 23:54–23:550.89 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. [36]
EF0NE of Macy to SSW of Akron Miami, Fulton IN 40°59′N86°05′W / 40.99°N 86.08°W / 40.99; -86.08 (Macy (Mar. 19, EF0)) 00:20–00:232.7 mi (4.3 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. [37]
EF2W of Rosstown to S of Newbern Bartholomew IN 39°06′20″N85°56′46″W / 39.1056°N 85.946°W / 39.1056; -85.946 (Rosstown (Mar. 19, EF2)) 00:44–00:5713.55 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. [38]
EF1Southern Hebron to WSW of Villa Hills Boone KY 39°02′33″N84°42′16″W / 39.0426°N 84.7044°W / 39.0426; -84.7044 (Hebron (Mar. 19, EF1)) 02:54–02:563.15 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. [39]

See also

Notes

  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

  1. ↑ "WPC surface analysis zoom, pan, animation and archives". Weather Prediction Center . Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  2. ↑ WPC Event Review/Winter Storm Archive (Prototype) (Report). Weather Prediction Center. March 25, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Winter Storm Nyla Brought Wind-Driven Snow To Plains, Upper Midwest, Including Blizzard Conditions (RECAP)". The Weather Channel . Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  4. ↑ National Weather Service Indianapolis, Indiana (March 20, 2025). NWS Damage Survey for 03/19/2025 Tornado Event (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Iowa weather: Photos of hail that fell in central Iowa Wednesday morning". KCCI . March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Yablonski, Steven; Vawter, Hayley (March 19, 2025). "Blizzard hammers central US as high winds flip vehicles, force highway closures". Fox Weather . Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Bentley, Evan (March 19, 2025). Mar 19, 2025 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook (Report). Storm Prediction Center . Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  8. ↑ Darrow, Mark; Moore, Andrew (March 17, 2025). Mar 17, 2025 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook (Report). Storm Prediction Center . Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  9. ↑ SPC Storm Reports for 03/17/25 (Report). Storm Prediction Center. March 17, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  10. ↑ Macht, Daniel (March 17, 2025). "Viewer Videos: St. Patrick's Day thunderstorms drop hail across Northern California". KCRA . Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  11. ↑ Darrow, Mark; Moore, Andrew (March 18, 2025). Mar 18, 2025 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook (Report). Storm Prediction Center . Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  12. ↑ Dolce, Chris (March 20, 2025). "Severe Thunderstorms Return To Midwest With Wind Damage, Hail And Tornado Threats, Including Illinois, Indiana". The Weather Channel . Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  13. ↑ Snowfall Reports from the Last 72 Hours. National Weather Service (Report). Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ "Snow creates whiteout conditions in Hastings, Nebraska". Fox Weather . March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 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). Retrieved June 4, 2025– 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. ↑ National Weather Service Chicago, Illinois (March 20, 2025). NWS Damage Survey for 3/19/2025 Tornado Event (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  18. ↑ "What's with the DIRTY RAIN falling?". National Weather Service La Crosse, Wisconsin. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Chicago-area residents notice unusually dirty cars and windows after severe storms". WMAQ . March 20, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  20. ↑ Kealey, Kate (March 19, 2025). "Why is the rain brown? Wednesday's storm dirties cars and sidewalks across Iowa". Des Moines Register . Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  21. ↑ Libby, Alex (March 20, 2025). "Dirty Rain: Why some cars in Tennessee looked so dusty on Thursday". WKRN . Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  22. ↑ Vickers, Chris; Bailey, Andrew (March 19, 2025). "Dust storm from southern US mixes with Midwest storm system to cover northwest Ohio in 'dirty rain'". WTOL . Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  23. ↑ Turbeville, Ryan; Skinner, Cate (March 19, 2025). "LIVE UPDATES: Crews fighting dozens of wildfires across Arkansas". KARK . Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  24. ↑ Feurer, Todd; Ramon, Albert; Ramos, Andrew; Johnson, Darius; Curran, Ed (March 20, 2025). "8 tornadoes confirmed from Wednesday storms; 4 in Northwest Indiana, 3 in Will County, 1 in Cook County". WBBM . Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  25. ↑ National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois (2025). Illinois Event Report: EFU Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  26. ↑ National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois (2025). Illinois Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  27. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Illinois Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  28. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Illinois Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  29. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Illinois Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  30. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Illinois Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  31. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Illinois Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  32. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Indiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  33. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Indiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  34. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Indiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  35. ↑ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (2025). Indiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  36. ↑ National Weather Service in Syracuse, Indiana (2025). Indiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  37. ↑
    • National Weather Service in Syracuse, Indiana (2025). Indiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
    • National Weather Service in Syracuse, Indiana (2025). Indiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  38. ↑ National Weather Service in Indianapolis, Indiana (2025). Indiana Event Report: EF2 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  39. ↑ National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio (2025). Kentucky Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
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