Millions in the East brace for severe weather and dangerous winds, followed by arctic blast

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Widespread and damaging wind event possible on Sunday as severe storms move through Midwest, Southeast

Rounds of severe storms kick off on Sunday, bringing a significant threat for damaging winds and possibly even a serial derecho. Storms last through Monday, moving into the Carolinas and Virginia. 

March remains an extremely active month for weather in the East, as the region prepares for severe weather and significant winds, followed by another blast of arctic air and below-average temperatures.

Starting Sunday, an area of low pressure will strengthen, allowing surface winds to increase ahead of the cold front. 

BETHESDA, MARYLAND - MAY 16: In an aerial view, severe thunderstorms move through the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area causing widespread damage on May 16, 2025, in Bethesda, Maryland.

(Kevin Carter / Getty Images)

The FOX Forecast Center said by Sunday evening, a severe line of storms is expected to develop across the Midwest and stretching into the Southeast, making widespread damaging wind gusts increasingly likely. 

A level 3 out of 5 severe weather threat is in place for parts of southern Illinois, western Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as eastern Arkansas. 

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Some forecasts suggest a severe wind event is possible with this system, something called a serial derecho. 

A derecho is a widespread, long-lived windstorm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. 

Serial derechos are most common in the spring and fall seasons, typically associated with a strong upper level trough with a strong surface low pressure system.

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The FOX Forecast Center said a narrow corridor for some tornado formation could be possible where strong wind shear sets up during the storms. 

By Monday, the severe threat will move east over Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, up into Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

The most significant threat will be in northeastern South Carolina, most of central and eastern North Carolina, eastern Virginia and up north to Washington, D.C., where a level 3 out of 5 severe risk exists. 

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Two rounds of storms are likely, with the first bringing a more serious tornado threat for the Carolinas and Virginia by Monday afternoon. 

The second round will move in closer to the cold front, bringing more instability and strong wind shear. 

Cold front to bring March chill to East

A weekend winter storm pushing through the Midwest and Great Lakes will help drive strong northwest winds behind the storm, pulling Arctic air south and east. 

The Plains and Midwest will be the first to see a significant temperature shift on Monday as a bitter blast of Arctic air moves across the country. 

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People visit the cherry blossom trees during their peak bloom stage at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. on March 28, 2025.

(Bryan Dozier / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP / Getty Images)

Afternoon highs on Monday will be nearly 15-25 degrees below average, peaking in the teens and 20s across the Midwest and in the 40s and 50s across the Mid-South. These below-average temperatures will extend from the Canadian border all the way south to the Texas–Mexico border. 

Overnight into early Tuesday, wind chill values will drop into the negative single digits and teens for cities such as Minneapolis and Green Bay, and into the teens and 20s for areas like Oklahoma City and Atlanta.

In the Deep South, a few record low temperatures are possible.

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By Tuesday, nearly 225 million Americans are expected to experience below-average temperatures. 

The most widespread below-average temperatures will arise on Tuesday afternoon. Highs will once again run nearly 20-30 degrees below average for major cities such as St. Louis, Atlanta and Washington, DC. 

Many areas will remain in the mid-30s on Tuesday. By Wednesday morning, New York City and Boston will wake up to temperatures in the upper teens and 20s.

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Temperatures slowly warm closer to average by Wednesday and Thursday.

Long-range temperature outlooks suggest parts of the Northeast could see below-average temperatures into late March.