Nor'easter Hits the Northeast

A powerful nor'easter storm completed its pass through parts of the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast yesterday, unleashing up to 2 inches of snow per hour in certain areas. The storm disrupted travel, left more than 130,000 customers without power, and forced the closure of schools for millions of students across the region.

The storm, stretching from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to southern New England, dropped at least a foot of snow in parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, and at least 15 inches in parts of Connecticut and New Jersey. New York City saw 3.2 inches of snow—deploying snow plows for the first time in two years in a city that saw just 2.3 inches total last winter.

A nor'easter is a storm that occurs when cold and dry Arctic air coming down from Canada meets warm and moist air near the coast, creating a powerful mix capable of heavy rain or snow from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. See how a nor’easter forms here.