Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power Saturday after high winds swept eastward from the Great Lakes region, leaving trees down and causing substantial property damage in their wake.
Nearly 450,000 customers remained affected by mid-afternoon in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide. A 66-mph gust recorded at Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday was the fourth-strongest on record there not caused by a thunderstorm, the National Weather Service reported. Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport experienced even stronger winds, with gusts reaching 85 mph Friday afternoon.
The high winds caused significant damage across the region. In New Franklin, Ohio, a gas station canopy was torn down, and an auto parts store sign was knocked over in Baldwin, Pennsylvania. Trees and limbs fell onto homes and cars stretching from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, in the Chicago suburb of Niles, Illinois, the roof of a school building suffered severe wind damage.
Farther west, powerful winds fueled wildfires that swept across Nebraska’s ranges and grasslands, tragically causing at least one death in Arthur County. Officials have not yet identified the victim or provided additional details regarding the fatality.
One particular fire, which state officials have named the Morrill County fire, has burned at least 735 square miles across four counties since Thursday. According to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the fire has destroyed at least 12 structures.
Chelle Ladely of Sidney, Nebraska, about 40 miles south of the nearest blaze, shared her concerns: “Smoke is filling the air and at night I can see the burn of the fires on the horizon. My father is a crop agronomist, and his company, along with other local farmers, are gathering their water trucks to help fight the fires. Truckloads of bottled water and food are being supplied by our patrons to support our volunteer firemen working to extinguish the blazes.”
Several other wildfires, driven by winds up to 65 mph, have burned an additional 225 square miles, bringing the total affected area to more than 900 square miles as of midday Saturday. The strong winds have made containment efforts difficult, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. Governor Jim Pillen toured the areas affected by the Morrill County fire on Saturday.
Despite the extreme weather, Chicago saw thousands of revelers gather to watch the city’s namesake river dyed bright green and attend a downtown parade celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. This took place even as snow threatened and stiff winds pushed the wind-chill temperature well below freezing.
The dangerous winds are just one facet of a complex weather system impacting the nation. This “wild weather mosaic” includes heavy rains in Hawaii, anticipated triple-digit heat in Phoenix, and a return of winter cold to the Midwest and Northeast. Chicago is expected to experience temperatures near single digits by Tuesday, with Minneapolis facing lows around zero.
Several cities in Minnesota have declared snow emergencies starting Sunday as what could be the largest snowfall of the season is forecasted. Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are also expected to be significantly impacted. AccuWeather has described the situation as a “potent triple-threat March megastorm” expected from Sunday into Monday.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist John Feerick commented, “It’s definitely a very active weather weekend, that’s for sure. It’s a highly amplified pattern, which means you get a lot of extremes. Also, not just the Lower 48, but Hawaii’s getting hit hard right now with some very heavy rain.”
Feerick also warned that people along the Wisconsin-Iowa border might see ice, with dangerous travel conditions expected across large parts of the Upper Midwest.
Residents across affected areas are urged to stay informed and take proper precautions as this volatile weather pattern unfolds.
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-03-14/high-winds-cause-power-outages-fuel-fires