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From 'Love Story' to 'Dahmer,' can Ryan Murphy keep rewriting the past?

March 12, 2026
From 'Love Story' to 'Dahmer,' can Ryan Murphy keep rewriting the past?

Daryl Hannah has some issues with Ryan Murphy. And she's far from the only one.

USA TODAY

The actress and star of films like "Splash" (1984) and the "Kill Bill" franchise (2003 and 2005) wrotea scathing op-ed in The New York TimesMarch 6 decrying Murphy's latest buzzy TV show,"Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette."Hannah, who was in a relationship with John F. Kennedy, Jr. prior to Bessette, has major issues with the way the series depicted her, as portrayed by young actress Dree Hemingway.

"I have generally chosen not to respond to media coverage of me," Hannah, 65,writes. "But a recent tragedy-exploitingtelevision seriesabout John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette features a character using my name and presents her as me. The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident."

The real Daryl Hannah, left, at the 2025 Academy Awards. Dree Hemingway (right), portraying a fictionalized version of Hannah in FX's "Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette."

"The character 'Daryl Hannah' portrayed in the series is not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John. ... I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled parties. I have never pressured anyone into marriage. I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone's private memorial. I have never planted any story in the press. I never compared Jacqueline Onassis' death to a dog's."

Hannah goes on to point out an interview with the series' producer Nina Jacobsen, who reasoned that Hannah had to be portrayed in an unflattering light for narrative reasons, because she's an "adversary" to the titular couple's romance. In essence, Hannah argues, she got the villain edit.

Having watched eight out of nine episodes of "Love Story," I tend to agree with Hannah about how the series chooses to frame her character. It feels dirty, like a deliberate character assassination or smear campaign. Maybe this time, Murphy and his fellow producers have gone too far.

More:What it took to bring JFK Jr. and Carolyn's 'Love Story' back to life

"Love Story" is just the latest of Murphy's ripped-from-the-headlines dramas that has garnered steep criticism from the real life people portrayed and their families. And while many shows and films are "based on a true story," Murphy in particular has a controversial knack for sensationalizing emotionally perilous moments from recent American history that trigger his real-life subjects to set the record straight. (No one was very upset about, say, classic films like "All the Presidents' Men" turning journalists into heroes or Disney depicting the 1980 men's Olympic hockey team in "Miracle.") As the number of Murphy critics piles up faster than the number of shows he can create, it's worth wondering: How long can this go on?

From a purely legal standpoint, Murphy can do almost whatever he wants when creating these series.

"The First Amendment and freedom of speech give filmmakers a lot of latitude in making movies or television shows about actual events and real people," says Los Angeles entertainment attorney Tre Lovell, owner of The Lovell Firm. "They don't have to get the permission of whomever they are depicting."

"The creator has the right to invent characters and dramatize and fictionalize certain elements of the story," adds Alex Yousefzadeh, partner at Donaldson Callif Perez LLP. Filmmakers "can legally create composite characters based on actual people, timelines may be rearranged and events can be reimagined."

<p style=It's hard to say goodbye, but fans of these TV shows will have to do just that in 2026. From fantasy epics like Starz's "Outlander" (starring Sam Heughan, left, and Caitriona Balfe, pictured) to talk shows like "The Kelly Clarkson Show" and "Late Night With Stephen Colbert," these 20 shows are ending this year.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Jeff Daniels, left, and Stephen Colbert on CBS's "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." The show is set to end in May 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Homelander (Antony Starr, left) and Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) in "The Boys." The Prime Video comic book adaptation will conclude with the fifth and final season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Jeremy Renner, left, as Mike McLusky and Edie Falco as Nina Hobbs in "Mayor of Kingstown." The show will end with its fifth season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=CBS's "The Neighborhood" will end at Season 8.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Football drama "All American" will end on the CW after eight seasons.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Robson Green, left, as Geordie Keating and Tom Brittney as Will Davenport in "Grantchester." The PBS mainstay will end after 11 seasons.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=David Tennant (as Crowley) and Michael Sheen (Aziraphale) in "Good Omens." The Prime Video series will return for a 90-minute concluding film in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Netflix's fantasy juggernaut "The Witcher" will have one final season in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Andie MacDowell in "The Way Home" on Hallmark, which has a fourth and final season in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Netflix teen drama "Outer Banks" will end after a fifth season this year.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Wanda Sykes speaks to Sherri Shepherd on "Sherri." It's another talk show taking a final bow in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Showtime's long-running drama "The Chi" will have one last hurrah in Season 8 this year.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Netflix's celebrated "Queer Eye" has its 10th and final season of makeovers in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=After a dramatic third season, Hulu's twisty "Tell Me Lies" announced its ending.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Wanda Sykes' Netflix sitcom "The Upshaws" is ending after a Part 7 on the streaming service.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Kiawentiio as Katara, Gordon Cormier as Aang and Ian Ousley as Sokka in "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The adaptation of the Nickelodeon animated series will end after its 2026 third season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=The teens of "Yellowjackets" will say goodbye to the Wilderness after 2026's fourth season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Tommy and Tariq reunite in the series finale of "Power Book IV: Force." Starz's spinoff of "Power" is set to end with its third season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Say it isn't so! These TV shows are ending in 2026

It's hard to say goodbye, but fans of these TV shows will have to do just that in 2026. From fantasy epics like Starz's "Outlander" (starring Sam Heughan, left, andCaitriona Balfe, pictured) to talk shows like "The Kelly Clarkson Show" and "Late Night With Stephen Colbert," these 20 shows are ending this year.

But there are limits, of course. "They are not allowed to defame anyone, use private facts or information about that person that are not widely known or in the public domain, or somehow imply that the person endorses the show without the person's consent," Lovell says.

But there are limits that also go beyond the law. Murphy and his collaborators, whether at Netflix or FX and Hulu under the Disney corporate umbrella, are trying to sell their stories to the public. And ifthe court of public opinion turns, they could lose the very thing their sensationalized TV shows are trying to achieve.

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Referring to the second season of Murphy's Netflix series, "Monster," about Erik and Lyle Menendez, writer Jeffrey Berrios in 2024 questioned if audiences were turning on Murphy's lurid distortion of the truth, particularly as his productions appeared to exploit victims of crime or imply sexual relationships. (Season two implied an incestuous connection between the two brothers.)

Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez and Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez in "Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story."

"The backlash has almost become bigger than the show and has shifted into the questioning of Murphy's character,"wrote in Corsair magazine. The latest "Monster" installment, which debuted in 2025 about serial killer Ed Gein, had adismal 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The backlash Berrios refers to has been building for a decade. It goes all the way back to 2016's "American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson," the Emmy-winning crime drama that heralded a decade of Murphy adaptations of real life events. (Murphy first made his name in Hollywood creating fully fictional, over-the-top shows like "Nip/Tuck," "Glee" and "American Horror Story.") Families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, who Simpson was accused of murdering, called out the showfor a "lack of respect"to the victims of the central crime. Season 2, about the killing of fashion magnate Gianni Versace, saw his family similarly derisive of the show, saying at the time, "this TV series should only be considered as a work of fiction."

"Monster" has drawn similar backlash, especially in response to a 2022 season about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Family members of Dahmer's victims, including Eric Perry, a relative of Dahmer victim Errol Lindsey, were outraged by the show. Perry said in a September 2022 statement that it was"retraumatizing."Season 3, about Erik and Lyle Menendez, receivedcriticism from the brothers themselves.And "Love Story" has haters from multiple corners: In addition to Hannah's rebuke, Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy's nephew,called it"grotesque."

Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer in "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," a Netflix series produced by Ryan Murphy.

While the relatives of men brutally murdered by one of the most notorious serial killers in history are detailing their pain in statements, Murphy, Netflix and everyone else involved in his shows are profiting. Murphy's deal with the streamer, which has included three seasons of "Monster" so far,was worth an estimated $300 million.Now back making shows for FX, Hulu and parent company Disney ("Love Story" plays on FX and Hulu), his shows court Emmy nominations, audience views and ultimately, major revenue for the corporation.

"From an ethical lens, most people would agree that harming or retraumatizing survivors of any crime is wrong and unacceptable," says Yousefzadeh, the lawyer, while acknowledging that Murphy doesn't have a legal problem here. "A producer should always be mindful of how to respectfully tell a story based on facts, and the ethical implications of involving survivors should certainly be a part of the calculus."

It's worth noting that Murphy is a producer of "Love Story" but not the main creator − that's Connor Hines (Murphy is a co-creator of "Monster" and a producer of "American Crime Story"). He's also far from the only creator in Hollywood to take flack for a loose relationship with the truth. Hulu's 2022 miniseries "Pam and Tommy," about the romance between Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee with a heavy empahasis on the sex tape released without their consent, was created by Robert Siegel and produced by Seth Rogen among others, and has drawn fierce criticism from Anderson. Four years later, at the 2026 Golden Globes, Andersonsaidshe felt "weird" and "yucky" being in the same room as Rogen.

Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. and Dree Hemingway as Daryl Hannah in "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette."

But Murphy has made it is personal brand to capitalize on these huge moments in our cultural history, be they horrific true crime, tabloid fodder or love and tragedy, and twist them into something emotionally manipulative and voyeuristic. Many may complain, but audiences keep tuning in in huge numbers. Is he telling authentic human stories or titillating audiences hungry for more death, drama, destruction and despair?

That hunger may make us all complicit. There are ways to tell these stories without exploitation and harm, like 2022 Peacock series "A Friend of the Family," which is about something as awful as childhood sexual abuse, but was done in conjunction with the survivor, who wanted to tell her own story. Nuanced and graceful, "Friend"stands in direct opposition of "Monster,"which debuted around the same time.

And yet, these fictionalized stories have real-life consequences. Hannah detailed threatening messages she has received in the weeks since "Love Story" debuted on FX. "When entertainment borrows a real person's name, it can permanently impact her reputation," she writes.

How many more reputations can these TV shows ruin? Murphy shows no signs of slowing down his prolific Hollywood efforts: A fourth "Monster,"about Lizzie Borden and starring Ella Beatty, is already in the works, among many future projects. Will we, perhaps eventually eventually, realize maybe we shouldn't be so cavalier with the stories of our fellow humans?

We'll find out a few dozen Murphy TV limited series from now.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Love Story' to 'Dahmer' – Can Ryan Murphy keep rewriting the past?

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Dakota Johnson Is 'Playing the Field' 9 Months After Her Split from Chris Martin (Exclusive Source)

March 12, 2026
Dakota Johnson Is 'Playing the Field' 9 Months After Her Split from Chris Martin (Exclusive Source)

Dakota Johnson is nine months removed from her split from Chris Martin and not rushing into any new romances, as a source close to the actress tells PEOPLE

People Dakota Johnson on Jan. 28, 2026Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • Martin and Johnson split in June 2025, ending an on-off relationship that began in 2017

  • Johnson was most recently seen spending time with singer-songwriter Role Model in December and January

Dakota Johnsonis not rushing into any new romantic relationships, nine months after PEOPLE confirmed she and Coldplay lead singerChris Martinended their on-off relationship.

A source close to Johnson, 36, tells PEOPLE that theMaterialistsstar is "playing the field at the moment" when it comes to dating.

Johnson was seenspending time withsinger-songwriterRole Model(né Tucker Pillsbury)multiple timesin December and January, but the source says their connection was just casual.

Multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE on June 4 that Johnson and Martin had broken up, ending theirnearly eight-year relationship. The pair were first romantically linked in 2017 and photographed together as recently as May 16, 2025, when they stepped out together in Malibu, California.

Dakota Johnson on Jan. 28, 2026Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty

In November 2025, a source told PEOPLE that Johnson "has been slowly dating again and she's happy" following her and Martin's split, noting that her previous relationship "was often hot and cold, and while she always hoped they'd work out, she seems lighter and more at peace now that it's final."

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Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Dakota Johnson on Dec. 5, 2025Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty

Johnson nextmovieis an adaptation of author Colleen Hoover'sVerity, due in theaters Oct. 2. Beyond that, she is setting out ondirecting her own feature film for the first timewith a movie titledA Tree Is Blue, which will star Jessica Alba and Charli xcx.

The actress was also showcased in Calvin Klein's bold Spring 2026 campaign, which launched on March 9.

She spoke with Elleabout her decision to join the Calvin Klein brand. "Working with Calvin at this moment feels very symbiotic with where I am currently in my life. I'm at a place in my womanhood where I feel quite calm and centered. I spend a lot of time at home, I feel very comfortable in my body," she said.

Read the original article onPeople

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Starmer's pick of Epstein 'pal' as top British envoy haunts prime minister

March 12, 2026
Starmer's pick of Epstein 'pal' as top British envoy haunts prime minister

LONDON (AP) — News thatPrime Minister Keir Starmer ignored warningsof senior advisers and appointed Jeffrey Epstein's palPeter Mandelsonas Britain's ambassador to the U.S. was bad for the embattled leader. It seems unlikely to improve.

Associated Press Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Peter Mandelson, the former U.K. ambassador to the United States, leaves his house in London, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Peter Mandelson, the former U.K. ambassador to the United States, leaves his house in London, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) A print out copy of the documents released by the British government are photographed in London, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, and show officials believed there was a

Britain Epstein Mandelson

Starmer continues to weather the fallout from Mandelson's appointment — and later sacking — but the nearly 150 pages of documents released by his government Wednesday were just a small fraction of the thousands of pages still to come.

"It's hard to believe that later releases are going to persuade anybody to see the PM's decision in a better light," said Tim Bale, politics professor at Queen Mary University of London. "It's damning stuff and, if the country weren't preoccupied with rather more important Middle Eastern matters at the moment, it might even have hastened Starmer's departure."

Starmer picked an ambassador tainted by scandal

Documents confirmed what was already known: Starmer chose the savvy veteran politician despite a reputation tainted by previous scandals and ties toEpstein.

The due diligence checklist released from Mandelson's vetting highlighted in bold letters the red flags Starmer ignored, spelling out where his relationship with Epstein could expose the government to "reputational risk."

It also spelled out unrelated reputational issues over Mandelson's work in a previous Labour government — when he twice had to resign over financial matters — and his work at Global Counsel, a lobbying firm he co-founded.

In one document, Starmer was warned that making a political appointment to the post was riskier than choosing a veteran diplomat, as is more common in Britain.

"If anything goes wrong, you could be more exposed as the individual is more connected to you personally," then-Cabinet Secretary Simon Case advised.

Starmerfired Mandelsonin September after documents showed he maintained contact with Epstein — whom he once called his "best pal" — after the financier's 2008 conviction for sexual offenses involving a minor.

Starmer says Mandelson misled him about the depth and extent of his friendship with the convicted sex offender. He said he regrets ever giving him the ambassador's job.

"It was me that made a mistake, and it's me that makes the apology to the victims of Epstein, and I do that," Starmer said Thursday.

Documents released so far have not provided evidence to back up Starmer's claim he was misled, in part because police investigating Mandelson requested that correspondence between the prime minister and Mandelson be withheld to protect the integrity of the probe.

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Mandelson was briefly arrested last month on allegations he passed sensitive government information to Epstein a decade and a half ago. He has denied wrongdoing andhasn't been charged. He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.

Defense lawyer Marcus Johnstone, who is not connected to Mandelson, said civil servants, government lawyers and the police had probably fought a "small war" behind closed doors before deciding what documents to release. He said that fight will continue as batches of thousands of pages of documents are released in the weeks and months ahead.

"We need to remember that the files we are seeing today are only the thin end of the wedge on Mandelson," Johnstone said. "But we should be under no illusions that what we are currently seeing is anything like the full picture."

A question of judgment

Despite firing Mandelson in September, Starmer faced new questions about his judgment whena huge trove of filespublished by the U.S. Department of Justice in January provided more details about Mandelson's ties with Epstein. Opponents and even some members of the governing Labour Partycalled for the prime minister's resignation.

Starmer survivedthe immediate danger, but his position remains fragile, even though he never met Epstein and is not implicated in his crimes.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch on Thursday accused Starmer of lying to Parliament about the appointment and suggested Labour members of Parliament reconsider his leadership.

"It is very clear that he told lie after lie after lie about the appointment of Peter Mandelson," Badenoch said. "He wanted to make this all about Peter Mandelson. This is about his judgments."

The prime minister's spokesperson Tom Wells said Thursday that proper rules were followed in scrutinizing Mandelson, but the vetting process needs to be improved.

Crisis is overshadowed by the Iran war

Starmer has often appeared more sure-footed on the international stage than at home and that could provide the political cover he needs at this time.

He responded cautiously to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran — not joining in the airstrikes, which he hinted broke international law, and initially refusing to let American warplanes use British bases.

After Iran struck back by firing missiles and drones at neighboring countries, Starmer said U.S. planes could use U.K. bases to strike Iran's missile program, but not other targets.

Starmer's reticence angered Trump, who complained last week that Starmer was "not Winston Churchill." But polls suggest his reaction to the war aligns broadly with public sentiment, which is wary of deeper involvement in the conflict.

"The whole affair, while certainly doing nothing to help him, seems — rightly or wrongly — pretty inconsequential in the grand scheme of things," Bale said about the Mandelson documents.

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Polar vortex back in the forecast. How long will winter weather last?

March 12, 2026
Polar vortex back in the forecast. How long will winter weather last?

Welcome back, winter!

USA TODAY

After an extended May preview, the "false spring" in the eastern United States is over, and is being replaced by more typical chilly March weather (for now).

Highs in the 60s, 70s and 80s are being replaced by highs in the 40s, 50s and 60s,AccuWeathersaid.

Along with the chill, a pair of snowstorms are in the forecast for the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes over the next couple of days and later in the weekend, with heavy snow likely in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Meanwhile, the southwestern U.S. is seeing adramatic warm-up, with record heat possible in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas as temperatures soar into the 90s.

Overall, the weather pattern over the next week or so will be similar to the pattern seen for much of the winter, with cold in the East and heat in the West.

<p style=Jose Castillo of Tarrytown, NY. walks through snow along Route 9 in Tarrytown during the early hours of the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A huge winter storm dumped heavy amounts of snow and ice across wide swaths of the U.S.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bobby Sanchez and his Granddaughter Faith Castro walk through the snow in Blauvelt, NY on Jan. 25, 2026. Pedestrians walk in the Old City as snow falls in Knoxville, Tenn., during a winter storm on Jan. 24, 2026. Despited being covered from the chilling cold, Keith Wilson, of Milwaukee, walks with frozen eyelashes down East State Street in Milwaukee on Jan. 23, 2026. The National Weather Service issued an extreme cold watch across Wisconsin with windchills between 30 and 40 below zero. Matthew Trecek, a Marquette University first year law student from Mission Hills Kansas, is bundled up from the cold as he makes his way to class down North 13th St. on campus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Jan. 23, 2026. The National Weather Service issued an extreme cold watch across Wisconsin with windchills between 30 and 40 below zero. Children are pushed down a snow-covered hill during a winter storm in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. The William Whitner statue decorated with scarves and blankets for those in need near the Anderson County Courthouse, as residents wake up to a scene of white winter mix in Anderson, SC on Sunday, Jan 25, 2026. Mark Anstaett of Clintonville cross country skis though Whetstone Park as Winter Storm Fern continues to dump snow on the Columbus, Ohio area on Jan. 25, 2026. Indiana Hoosiers braved the single digit cold weather to celebrate on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, during the Indiana Football College Football Playoff National Championship celebration and parade at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Thomas Beckers sleds down Linden Avenue with his sons, Anouk, 6, left, and Malu, 3, on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 in Nashville, Tenn. The storm is expected to bring snow, sleet, freezing temperatures and ice across multiple states this weekend. Indiana Hoosiers braved the single digit cold weather to celebrate on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, during the Indiana Football College Football Playoff National Championship celebration and parade at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Indiana Hoosiers braved the single digit cold weather to celebrate on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, during the Indiana Football College Football Playoff National Championship celebration and parade at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. A student of Iowa State University shields his face from the cold while wearing for bus at a bus stop in the university campus in the extreme cold on Jan. 23, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. Postal carrier Seth Martinson delivers mail during a stretch of extreme cold weather on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Appleton, Wisc. Yahaira Rojas, of Milwaukee, shields her face from the cold as she walks down North 10th Street in from of the Milwaukee County Courthouse in Milwaukee, Wisc. on Jan. 23, 2026. The National Weather Service issued an extreme cold watch across Wisconsin with windchills between 30 and 40 below zero.

See fun faces of people making the best of winter weather

Jose Castillo of Tarrytown, NY. walks throughsnowalong Route 9 in Tarrytown during the early hours of the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A huge winter storm dumped heavy amounts of snow and ice across wide swaths of the U.S.

A winter reality check

"Straight out of the textbook for wild swings in March weather, this winter reality check will follow on the heels of asevere weather outbreakand spell of record warmth in the central and eastern U.S. that will now intensify in the Southwest," said Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in anonline forecast.

The warmth included temperatures in the 80s as far north as New York City.

However, unlike the persistent cold from late January to February, this time, colder air will come in waves with warm surges in between, and March sunshine lending a hand, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in anonline forecast.

While the eastern half of the U.S. shivers, the West will be very warm by early next week.

Polar vortex ends 'false spring'

Not every cold wave is tied to the polar vortex, but this one is,AccuWeather said.

Another displacement or weakening of the polar vortex is underway, which can allow bursts of Arctic air to spill into the Midwest and Northeast at times, according to AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok.

"There will be an active storm track with snow and ice along the U.S./Canada border this week," Pastelok said. "The wake of these storms will help draw colder air farther south. As the pattern evolves, a storm sometime from March 16-19 can bring mixed snow, ice and rain to parts of the East, with a more significant discharge of cold air to follow from the Plains to the East."

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Some subzero lows are possible in parts of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula early next week,Erdman said. Much of the Deep South, including parts of far northern Florida, is forecast to dip below the freezing mark.

When will it warm up in the East?

If you've had enough of winter weather, especially following the recent warmth, there is some good news in the forecast, Erdman said.

"Warmer air should work its way eastward in the Plains by the middle of next week, then may ooze farther east later next week," Erdman said in an online forecast. "However, some longer-range models are suggesting some chillier air may spill back into parts of the Midwest and Northeast during the week of March 23."

Chances are increasing for a significant snowstorm in the north-central U.S. by the weekend.

Blizzard in the north-central US?

After an Alberta Clipper dumps snow across the northern tier over the next couple of days, it is becoming more likely that a second, more significant winter storm will develop across the northern High Plains before rapidly strengthening as it moves into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes over the weekend, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'sWeather Prediction Centersaid in an online forecast.

"At least six inches of snow is likely, with much higher amounts possible," the WPC said. "Snowfall rates that will likely exceed 1 inch per hour will combine with strong winds gusting 30-50 mph to produce extremely reduced visibility and dangerous to potentially impossible travel at times."

Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue, in an email to USA TODAY, said that the storm could be classified as abomb cyclone, and that blizzard conditions are likely.

Southwestern warmth could break records

While the East and central U.S. shivers, thesouthwestern U.S.will see near-record warmth over the next week or so.

Record highs may be challenged in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13, with temperatures near 90 degrees, AccuWeather said. Records could also be topped in Las Vegas and Phoenix through the weekend as the early-season desert heat wave throttles up.

Next week, Phoenix could hit the 100-degree mark as the heat intensifies. If the temperature in the city reaches the century mark before March 26, it would be the earliest 100-degree reading on record.

A Northwest mess

A plume of Pacific moisture with embedded storms will bring multiple rounds of heavy rain and mountain snow to western Washington, northwestern Oregon and southern British Columbia through the end of the week, Sosnowski said.

On Thursday, March 12, strong winds were reported across much of the interior Northwest. Tens of thousands of customers were without power in Washington and Idaho, according toUSA TODAY's outage tracker.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Polar vortex is back, winter weather forecast says. What now?

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