'Storm of the Century' events on the US East Coast will become devastating, study finds
Dangerous Nor'easters storms will get worse
Nor'easters, intense storms that hit the US East Coast when cold Antarctic airs mix with warmer Atlantic waters, could become more devastating as the world gets warmer, a new study found.
A warmer planet
These storms typically hit from September to April, in the form of strong winds and heavy rain or snow. The leading researcher behind the study told CNN he was curious about how they might change in a warmer planet.
Counterintuitive results
"The prospect of stronger nor'easters may imply the counterintuitive possibility of increased winter cold air outbreaks," the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), noted.
Less winter
Global warming will reduce the number of winter days and overall snow, but these individual events will keep happening and will become stronger, the authors of the study concluded.
Stronger storms
Warmer weather will create more humidity because hotter air and warmer water increase evaporation. The increased moisture will give storms more raw material for rain and snow, CNN explained.
A collection of events
The researchers gathered data on all nor'easters between 1940 and 2025, their intensity, and thier potential for damage. Nor'easters are much less studied than other weather phenomena.
A significant increase
The researchers told CNN that the wind speed of nor'easters has increased by 6% since 1940. This number seems low, but they clarified it could make the storm up to 20% more destructive.
Fueling intense storms
The overall increase in intensity will affect only the most dangerous and destructive storms, the study explained. "Such changes have profound implications for coastal cities and shorelines," it noted.
Blockbuster storms
Some of the most intense nor'easters have made history with their destruction. An infamous one, the 'Storm of the Century' of 1993, took over 200 lives and dropped around 60 inches of snow.
'Snowmaggedon' of 2010
Another example is the 'Snowmaggedon' of 2010, a nor'easter that dumped two feet of snow across much of the mid-Atlantic, killing two, paralyzing travel, and leaving tens of thousands without power, Reuters reported at the time.
