Nor'easter facts for kids

For other uses, see Nor'easter (disambiguation).

A nor'easter (pronounced "nor-EAST-er") is a big storm that forms over the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name comes from the strong winds that blow from the northeast during these storms. Nor'easters usually start as a low-pressure area about 100 miles (160 km) off the coast, somewhere between North Carolina and Massachusetts.

These storms often bring heavy rain or snow. They can also cause serious coastal flooding, wear away beaches, and bring winds as strong as a hurricane. Sometimes, they even create blizzard conditions. Nor'easters are most common and strongest between November and March. This is because cold air from Canada mixes with the warm ocean water off the East Coast, creating the perfect conditions for these powerful storms. The areas most affected are the upper East Coast of the United States and the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. These regions usually experience a few nor'easters each winter.

What's in a Name?
How Nor'easters Form and What They're Like
Famous Nor'easters
See Also

What's in a Name?

An old compass card from 1607, showing the spelling "Noreast."

The word nor'easter came to American English from British English. People started using "nor" as a short way to say "north" way back in the late 1500s. You can even see the spelling "Noreast" on an old compass card from 1607. Sailors used to say "Nor'east" when talking about directions.

For a long time, the term "nor'easter" was common along the U.S. East Coast to describe these storms. However, some people, like linguist Mark Liberman, thought it was a "fake" word. They believed people in New England would say "no'theastuh" without the "R" sound.

Despite these ideas, the term "nor'easter" has been used by people from New England and in newspapers for a long time. For example, in 1870, writer Thomas Bailey Aldrich used it in his book The Story of a Bad Boy. Also, in 1869, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward wrote about a "regular nor'easter" in her story "In the Gray Goth." So, even though some people debated it, the word has a history of being used.

The term became even more popular in the press over time. By 2003, more than 80% of these storms were called "nor'easters" in news reports.

How Nor'easters Form and What They're Like

How They Form

The surface temperature of the sea off the east coast of North America. The yellow area shows the warm Gulf Stream.

Nor'easters form because of a big difference between the warm Gulf Stream ocean current, which flows up from the tropical Atlantic, and the very cold air masses coming down from Canada. When this very cold, dry air meets the warm Gulf Stream (which can be around 70°F or 21°C even in winter), it often causes low-pressure areas to grow stronger.

High up in the atmosphere, strong winds from the jet stream help pull air upwards from the Atlantic. This, along with the Coriolis force (a force caused by Earth's rotation), helps the storm get stronger. The storm then usually moves northeast along the East Coast, from North Carolina to Long Island, and then heads east towards the waters off Cape Cod.

The winds around the low-pressure system blow in a counterclockwise direction, bringing moist air over land. This warm, moist air then crashes into the cold air coming from Canada. The bigger the temperature difference between these air masses, the more unstable and severe the storm becomes.

Nor'easters that follow the East Coast usually happen when there's a high-pressure area near Nova Scotia. Sometimes, a nor'easter will move slightly inland, bringing rain to cities like New York City and Philadelphia, and snow to New England. These storms can get very strong, sometimes reaching the power of a weak hurricane as they move towards Canadian and Arctic areas. They can even last for several weeks.

Meteorologists use something called the Miller classification to figure out where a nor'easter will go and how bad it will be. This system, created in 1946, divides storms into two types:

Type A storms start in the Gulf of Mexico or near the coasts of Georgia or South Carolina. They bring heavy snow mainly to parts of the inland South, Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Atlantic Canada.
Type B storms start from a low-pressure system over the Ohio Valley. Then, a new storm center forms over the Gulf Stream off North Carolina or Virginia. These storms can bring snow and ice from the Great Plains and the Ohio River Valley all the way to the Middle Atlantic and New England.

What Nor'easters Are Like

Nor'easters often form when several weaker storms combine, or when a "parent storm" mixes with the polar and tropical jet streams.

Temperatures usually drop a lot because of the cooler air brought by the northeast winds. During one storm, the rain or snow can change from a heavy downpour to a light mist. All types of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain) can happen in a nor'easter. Strong wind gusts, which can reach hurricane strength, are also common.

Very rarely, a nor'easter can look like a hurricane with a circular shape and a small "dry slot" near its center. This happened during the 1978 nor'easter and the January 2018 North American blizzard. However, this is not a true hurricane eye.

Nor'easters vs. Hurricanes

People sometimes confuse nor'easters with tropical cyclones (hurricanes). But they are different!

Nor'easters are "cold-core" systems. This means they get their energy from the big temperature differences between cold Canadian air and warm Atlantic waters.
Tropical cyclones (hurricanes) are "warm-core" systems. They need purely warm temperatures to grow.

However, in very rare cases, a small tropical storm can form inside a strong nor'easter if the ocean water is warm enough, like during the 1991 Perfect Storm. Sometimes, a nor'easter can even turn into a tropical or subtropical storm, as happened with Tropical Storm Wanda in 2021.

Nor'easters vs. Other Storms

A nor'easter is a very strong extratropical cyclone that often grows quickly. While similar storms happen around the world, nor'easters are special because of their strong northeast winds and how much moisture they carry. This moisture can cause a lot of flooding or heavy snow.

Where Nor'easters Happen

The eastern United States, from North Carolina to Maine, and Eastern Canada can all experience nor'easters. They most often affect Atlantic Canada and New England. Sometimes, the effects of a nor'easter, like high waves, strong winds, and rain, can reach as far south as coastal South Carolina. These storms cause a lot of beach erosion and flooding in low-lying areas.

Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod have found that nor'easters can also cause red tides on the Atlantic coast.

Famous Nor'easters

Here are some notable nor'easters:

Event	Date	Description
Great Blizzard of 1888	March 11–14, 1888	One of the worst blizzards in U.S. history. It dropped 40 to 50 inches (100 to 130 cm) of snow and killed 400 people, mostly in New York.
Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950	November 24–30, 1950	A very severe storm that dumped over 30 inches (76 cm) of snow in many major cities along the eastern U.S. It also brought record-breaking cold and hurricane-force winds, killing 353 people.
Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962	March 5–9, 1962	This storm caused severe tidal flooding and blizzard conditions from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, killing 40 people.
Eastern Canadian Blizzard of March 1971	March 3–5, 1971	Dropped over 32 inches (81 cm) of snow over parts of eastern Canada, killing at least 30 people.
Groundhog Day gale of 1976	February 1–5, 1976	Caused blizzard conditions for much of New England and eastern Canada, dropping a maximum of 56 inches (140 cm) of snow.
Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978	February 5–7, 1978	A huge storm that dropped over 27 inches (69 cm) of snow in parts of New England. It killed 100 people, many of whom were trapped in their cars.
1991 Perfect Storm (the "Perfect Storm")	October 28 – November 2, 1991	A very unusual storm where a tropical and extratropical system mixed. It caused severe damage to coastal areas, especially in Massachusetts, and killed 13 people.
December 1992 nor'easter	December 10–12, 1992	A powerful storm that caused severe coastal flooding throughout much of the northeastern United States.
1993 Storm of the Century	March 12–15, 1993	A "superstorm" that started in the Gulf of Mexico and brought high storm surge to Florida. It grew so large that it affected the entire eastern U.S., parts of eastern Canada, and Cuba. It caused $6.65 billion in damage and killed 310 people.
Christmas 1994 nor'easter	December 22–26, 1994	An intense storm that affected the east coast of the U.S. and showed some features of a tropical cyclone.
North American blizzard of 1996	January 6–10, 1996	A severe snowstorm that brought up to 4 feet (120 cm) of snow to parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S.
North American blizzard of 2003	February 14–22, 2003	Dropped over 2 feet (61 cm) of snow in several major cities, including Boston and New York City. It affected large areas and killed 27 people.
White Juan of 2004	February 17–23, 2004	A blizzard that affected Atlantic Canada, causing major transportation problems in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It dropped over 37 inches (94 cm) of snow in some areas.
North American blizzard of 2005	January 20–23, 2005	Brought blizzard conditions to southern New England and dropped over 40 inches (100 cm) of snow in parts of Massachusetts.
North American blizzard of 2006	February 11–13, 2006	A powerful storm that developed a hurricane-like eye off the coast of New Jersey. It brought over 30 inches (76 cm) of snow in some areas and killed 3 people.
April 2007 nor'easter	April 13–17, 2007	An unusually late storm that dumped heavy snow in parts of Northern New England and Canada, and heavy rains elsewhere. It caused 18 deaths.
November 2009 nor'easter	November 11–17, 2009	Formed from the remains of Hurricane Ida. It caused moderate storm surge, strong winds, and very heavy rainfall throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. It caused $300 million in damage and killed six people.
December 2009 North American blizzard	December 16–20, 2009	A major blizzard that affected large cities like New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, and Boston. Some areas received up to 2 feet (61 cm) of snow.
March 2010 nor'easter	March 12–16, 2010	A slow-moving nor'easter that hit the Northeastern United States hard. Winds up to 70 mph (110 km/h) broke trees and power lines, leaving over 1 million homes without electricity. It produced over 10 inches (25 cm) of rain in New England, causing widespread flooding and coastal erosion.
December 2010 North American blizzard	December 5, 2010 – January 15, 2011	A severe and long-lasting blizzard that dropped up to 36 inches (91 cm) of snow throughout much of the eastern United States.
January 8–13, 2011 North American blizzard and January 25–27, 2011 North American blizzard	January 8–13 and January 25–27, 2011	In January 2011, two nor'easters hit the East Coast just two weeks apart, causing major problems in New England and the Mid-Atlantic. During the first storm, a record 40 inches (100 cm) of snow was recorded in Savoy, Massachusetts. Two people died.
2011 Halloween nor'easter	October 28 – November 1, 2011	A rare and historic nor'easter that brought record-breaking snowfall for October to many parts of the Northeastern U.S., especially New England. It produced a maximum of 32 inches (81 cm) of snow in Peru, Massachusetts, and killed 39 people.
November 2012 nor'easter	November 7–10, 2012	A moderately strong nor'easter that hit the same areas affected by Hurricane Sandy a week earlier. It made problems worse by knocking down trees already weakened by Sandy and causing more power outages. The highest snowfall was 13 inches (33 cm) in Clintonville, Connecticut.
Late December 2012 North American storm complex	December 17–31, 2012	A major nor'easter known for a tornado outbreak in the Gulf Coast states on Christmas Day. It also brought a white Christmas to parts of northeastern Texas. The storm later dumped heavy snow across northern New England and New York, caused blizzard conditions across the Ohio Valley, and an ice storm in the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia.
Early February 2013 North American blizzard	February 7–18, 2013	An extremely powerful and historic nor'easter that dumped heavy snow and brought hurricane-force winds across New England. Many areas received over 2 feet (61 cm) of snow, especially Connecticut, Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts. The highest amount was 40 inches (100 cm) in Hamden, Connecticut. Over 700,000 people lost power, and travel stopped completely. The storm later affected the United Kingdom. It killed 18 people.
March 2013 nor'easter	March 1–21, 2013	A large and powerful nor'easter that stalled along the eastern coast. It brought heavy snow and strong winds to the Northeast for 2 to 3 days. Many areas received over 1 foot (30 cm) of snow, with a high of 29 inches (74 cm) in Milton, Massachusetts. Rough waves and rip currents were felt as far south as Florida's east coast.
January 2015 North American blizzard	January 23–31, 2015	This blizzard brought over 20 inches (51 cm) of snow to much of the area, with several reports of over 30 inches (76 cm) in Massachusetts. Worcester received 34.5 inches (88 cm), its largest storm snowfall on record. On the coast of Massachusetts, hurricane-force wind gusts up to 80 mph (130 km/h) were reported. The storm also caused severe coastal flooding.
October 2015 North American storm complex	September 29 – October 2, 2015	A low-pressure system formed in the Atlantic and absorbed moisture from Hurricane Joaquin. It dumped a lot of rain, mostly in South Carolina.
January 2016 United States blizzard (Winter Storm Jonas)	January 19–29, 2016	This storm dumped 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) of snow on the East Coast of the United States. States of emergency were declared in 12 states and Washington, D.C.. It also caused significant storm surge in New Jersey and Delaware. Strong winds over 50 mph (80 km/h) were recorded, with a maximum gust of 85 mph (137 km/h) on Assateague Island, Virginia. A total of 55 people died.
February 9–11, 2017 North American blizzard (Winter Storm Niko)	February 6–11, 2017	This storm rapidly grew into a powerful nor'easter, dumping 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) of snow across the Northeast megalopolis. It also produced thunder and lightning in Southern New England. Before the blizzard, the region had unusually warm temperatures, surprising many people.
February 12–14, 2017 North American blizzard	February 12–15, 2017
March 2017 North American blizzard (Winter Storm Stella)	March 12–15, 2017
October 2017 North American storm complex	October 28–31, 2017	An extratropical storm absorbed the remains of Tropical Storm Philippe. The combined storm became a very powerful nor'easter that caused major problems across the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. It produced strong winds, with hurricane-force gusts up to 93 mph (150 km/h). The storm caused over 1.4 million power outages, especially in Maine. Damage was extensive due to high winds, heavy rain, wet ground, and trees still having leaves. Heavy rain in Quebec and Eastern Ontario interfered with transportation.
January 2018 North American blizzard	January 2–6, 2018	A powerful blizzard that caused major problems along the East Coast of the United States and Canada. It brought snow and ice to places that rarely get winter weather, like Florida and Georgia. It also produced over 2 feet (61 cm) of snow in the Mid-Atlantic states, New England, and Atlantic Canada. The storm deepened very quickly, similar to a Category 3 or 4 hurricane.
March 1-3, 2018 nor'easter (Winter Storm Riley)	March 1–5, 2018	A very powerful nor'easter that caused major impacts in the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern United States. It produced over 2 feet (61 cm) of snow in some areas, making it one of the most significant March snowstorms. It also caused widespread damaging winds, with gusts well over hurricane strength. Over 2.2 million customers lost power.
March 6-8, 2018 nor'easter (Winter Storm Quinn)	March 2–9, 2018	A powerful nor'easter that affected the Northeast United States, coming just days after another big storm. It brought frequent thunder and lightning with snow, and snowfall rates of up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) per hour. An eye-like feature was seen near the storm's center. It dumped over 2 feet (61 cm) of snow in many areas. Over 1 million power outages were reported.
March 12–14, 2018 nor'easter (Winter Storm Skylar)	March 11–14, 2018	A powerful nor'easter that quickly got stronger. This was the third major storm to hit the area in 11 days. It dumped over 2 feet (61 cm) of snow and brought hurricane-force wind gusts to parts of Eastern New England. Many schools, including in Boston, Hartford, and Providence, were closed.
March 20–22, 2018 nor'easter (Winter Storm Toby)	March 20–22, 2018	This was the fourth major nor'easter to affect the Northeast United States in less than three weeks. It caused severe weather in the Southern United States before moving off the North Carolina coast. It brought freezing rain and snow to the Mid-Atlantic States. In Islip, New York, snowfall rates of up to 5 inches (13 cm) per hour were reported. Over 100,000 customers lost power, mostly in New Jersey.
Early December 2020 nor'easter	December 4–6, 2020	It brought up to 18 inches (46 cm) of snow in northern New England.
Mid-December 2020 nor'easter	December 14–19, 2020	This nor'easter brought a lot of snow to cities like New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., more than they had seen all of the previous winter. Boston and Portland also saw over a foot of snow. It killed at least 7 people.
January 31 – February 3, 2021 nor'easter	January 31 – February 3, 2021	This powerful nor'easter affected the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. Large cities like New York City saw as much as 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm) of snow.
April 2021 nor'easter	April 15–17, 2021
Late October 2021 Nor'easter	October 25–28, 2021	A powerful early-season nor'easter that hit the Northeastern United States. It later moved out to sea and became Tropical Storm Wanda. Over 607,000 customers lost power, mostly in Massachusetts. The storm dropped as much as 5 inches (13 cm) of rain in Hunter, New York.
April 2022 Nor'easter	April 18–20, 2022	This nor'easter brought heavy rain, wind, heavy snow, and coastal flooding to much of the Mid-Atlantic states. Further inland, in areas like Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, and New England, heavy snowfall reached 6–12 inches (15–30 cm). Over 300,000 customers in the Northeast lost power. Virgil, New York saw 18 inches (46 cm) of snow.
March 2023 nor'easter	March 13–15, 2023	This nor'easter brought heavy snow to Northern New England and Upstate New York, with up to 40 inches (100 cm) in some isolated spots. The coast received very little snow.