March 2026 - Page 2 of 12 - Climate Impact Company

News

03/26/2026, 12:43 pm EDT

Tonight’s Ohio Valley Severe Weather Peak Intensity/Timing

The Ohio Valley eastward to Pennsylvania is within a significant level of severe weather risk for later today and tonight. HRRR projects strongest radar returns between 7-8PM EDT specifically for North-central Illinois and Indiana to Northern Ohio toward Pittsburgh, PA. In this stretch and slightly southward is the greatest risk of tornadoes. By late evening, the squall line is slightly less intense although aerial coverage broadens through the northern Mid-Atlantic States to southern New England.

03/26/2026, 8:36 am EDT

The U.S. Precipitation Pattern Shifts Wetter

About 75% of the U.S. is experiencing dry-to-drought conditions. Impactful wetter trend is occurring in the Great Lakes region and vicinity in March while most of the dry soil zones are missing important precipitation. The 15-day outlook for the U.S. offers significant rainfall in the Mid-south States, more wet weather for the soaking wet Great Lakes region, but is mostly dry and shifting drier for the western Great Plains where drought is forecast to expand during late spring.

03/26/2026, 8:34 am EDT

Moderate-to-Strong +IOD Forecast to Emerge With El Nino Mid-to-late 2026

Although remaining within the ENSO prediction barrier (EPB) strongest during MAR/APR, most dynamic models are projecting a moderate-to-strong El Nino to emerge mid-to-late 2026. Coinciding with the strong El Nino, is a projection of positive phase Indian Ocean dipole.

03/25/2026, 11:59 am EDT

Cooling Surface and Subsurface in the North Atlantic Tropics Coupled with 2026 El Nino Could Produce Quiet 2026 TC Season

The North Atlantic basin is marginally warmer than normal (+0.33C) and similar with this time last year. However, in the lower latitudes, the Caribbean Sea, and main development region (MDR) are somewhat cooler than last year at this time. The Gulf of Mexico basin is near +0.4C although nearly 1C cooler than one month ago. Upper ocean heat in the Gulf of Mexico and main development region (MDR) for North Atlantic hurricanes is second coolest in the 2013-26 climatology.