Americans across the country are being warned to brace for a wave of extreme weather that could impact every state over the next several days.
Forecasters say the unusual weather pattern will bring everything from record-breaking heat and blizzards to flooding and dangerous winds.
Meteorologists say the volatile conditions will affect nearly every region of the U.S. at the same time.
In the Southwest, temperatures are expected to surge to dangerous levels as a powerful heat dome settles over the region.
Phoenix could see temperatures soar as high as 107 degrees in the coming days.
Los Angeles is also facing unusually high temperatures, with forecasters predicting highs approaching 100 degrees between March 17 and March 19.
Downtown Los Angeles already recorded a record 92 degrees on Friday, signaling that the heat wave is just beginning.
Officials warned the extreme heat could be life-threatening, particularly for elderly residents, young children, and people without access to air conditioning.
At the same time, the Midwest and eastern United States are preparing for a blast of Arctic air.
A returning polar vortex is expected to send temperatures plunging across much of the region.
Parts of the Great Lakes could see up to four feet of snow as two major winter storms sweep through.
Minnesota is already under winter weather alerts, with blizzard warnings issued in parts of the state.
Forecasters say heavy snowfall and strong winds could make travel extremely dangerous.
The National Weather Service warned that travel conditions in some areas could become “very difficult to nearly impossible.”
Chicago is also bracing for damaging winds and rapidly falling temperatures.
Officials there warned that wind gusts could cause widespread disruptions over the weekend.
Meanwhile, parts of the Southeast could also see freezing temperatures as the polar vortex pushes farther south.
Atlanta is expected to drop into the 20s even as spring approaches.
Across the central United States, powerful winds and dry conditions are fueling dangerous wildfires.
Nebraska has already seen hundreds of square miles burned by fires, prompting a state of emergency.
National Guard troops have been deployed to help fight more than two dozen active fires, per the Daily Mail.
Strong wind gusts in the region could worsen the situation by spreading flames even further.
At the same time, parts of Hawaii are facing a completely different type of disaster.
A powerful Kona storm has unleashed days of heavy rain across the islands.
The storm has triggered widespread flooding concerns and forced schools, universities, and libraries to close.
More than 130,000 residents in Hawaii have lost electricity due to storm-related outages.
Flash flood warnings and high wind alerts remain in effect across much of the state.
Meteorologists say the unusual mix of extreme weather highlights the instability of the current weather system.
National Weather Service meteorologist Marc Chenard warned that conditions will shift rapidly across the country.
He said even areas that do not see extreme weather could still experience sudden swings between warm and cold temperatures.
The storm systems could affect nearly 200 million people across the central and eastern United States.
The severe weather also threatens to cause widespread travel disruptions.
Airports could face delays and cancellations just as millions of Americans begin traveling for Spring Break.
The potential travel chaos comes at an already difficult time for airlines and airports.
Thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers are currently missing paychecks because of the partial government shutdown.
