Abstract Extratropical cyclones (ETCs) are primary drivers of extreme weather in the mid‐to‐high latitudes. We introduce a new classification of particularly impactful events—’stalling’ ETCs—defined by slow movement combined with intense precipitation. Using cyclone tracking data, we find that stalling ETCs cluster systematically along the east coasts of continents in both hemispheres, revealing a striking symmetry between hemispheres. Upper‐level circulation composites during stalling events show localized pressure dipoles, pointing to regional mechanisms shaping their distribution. To explore one such process, we examine the presence of cyclones’ warm conveyor belts (WCBs), which modify potential vorticity aloft and can reinforce pressure ridges. Stalling ETCs are more often associated with WCBs than non‐stalling ones, supporting the possibility of a self‐blocking mechanism in which cyclones amplify the ridges that confine them. Further analyses are needed to establish causality, and the origin of the global east‐coast clustering remains an open question for future work.