Powerful Storm Unleashes Rain, Snow and Wind From Texas to Maine

A powerful late-winter storm is battering the central and eastern U.S. with heavy rain, snow and wind, canceling hundreds of flights and leaving more than 400,000 homes and businesses without power.

The storm hit parts of Texas with nickel-sized hail and gusts of up to 70 miles (113 kilometers) per hour that knocked down trees and power lines. Tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma and Louisiana, according to the U.S. Storm Prediction Center.

The system is forecast to drench New York City an up to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain starting Wednesday afternoon. Thunderstorms will stretch from Pennsylvania to Florida. Blizzards are possible from Nebraska to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“March is certainly coming in like a lion,” said Ashton Robinson Cook, a forecaster with the U.S. Weather Prediction Center.

Power outages stretch across much of the US South, with more than 100,000 homes and businesses without service in Texas and 54,000 in Tennessee, according to PowerOutage.us

At least 440 flights were canceled, mainly in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Washington. Another 636 were delayed as of 8 a.m. Eastern time, according to FlightAware.