Nor'easter Forecast to Bring Heavy Snow to U.S. Northeast

- Nor'easters are named for the direction of their powerful, northeasterly winds and typically form between September and April along the East Coast of North America. They are fueled by the collision of cold Arctic air from Canada with warm air over the Atlantic Ocean. - The heavily populated I-95 corridor, which includes Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of these storms. While the Northeast experiences 20-40 nor'easters annually, at least two are typically severe. - Historically, nor'easters have caused significant damage and loss of life. The Great Blizzard of 1888 resulted in 400 deaths and led to the burial of utility lines and the development of the first subway system in New York City. - More recent notable storms include the "Superstorm" of March 1993, which caused widespread damage, and a 2015 nor'easter that brought Boston one of its snowiest winters on record. Past storms have been responsible for billions of dollars in damage. - The Ash Wednesday storm of 1962 caused flooding that resulted in thousands of homes being destroyed and prompted changes to oceanfront building standards. The damage from that storm is estimated to be the equivalent of over $1.5 billion today. - Economically, nor'easters can cause widespread disruption, including thousands of flight cancellations, power outages for hundreds of thousands of customers, and significant impacts on transportation and retail sectors. The cumulative financial damage from frequent nor'easters can surpass that of hurricanes in the region. - While research suggests climate change may lead to a decrease in the number of smaller snowstorms, the most powerful and damaging nor'easters are expected to remain as frequent and may even increase in intensity.