This week, Winter Storm Grayson hit the East Coast strong and hard, setting records from Florida to New England. The storm brought hurricane-force winds, near-record coastal flooding, and whiteout blizzards on Thursday.
More than 40 million people were affected by the storm. Schools were closed, more than 4,000 flights were cancelled, and thousands lost power. Tallahassee, Florida, saw 0.5 centimeters (0.2 inches)—the first measurable snowfall in the city since 1989. Areas in New England, received more than 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) of snow.
“It's a classic nor’easter,” says Art DeGaetano, a professor of meteorology at Cornell University in New York. A nor’easter is a storm that usually occurs in the winter and moves up along the East Coast. A nor'easter is born when temperatures change very quickly over a small area. Rapid temperature drops lead to rapid decreases in air pressure. Extreme differences in air pressure create strong winds. Soon after, precipitation like rain and snow begin to fall.