1. By Rick Garuckas and Andrew Calvi
Northeast Snowstorms
By Rick Garuckas and Andrew Calvi

2. Climatology November through March.
Can even happen out of season in October and April.
February and March have seen some of the most intense Northeast Snowstorms in the past 10 years.
Weak to moderate El Ninos are favorable due to active southern branch of jet stream.

3. Ingredients for Formation
Jet streak at 300 mb
Cold high pressure to the north.
Negatively tilted trough at 500 mb with vorticity max curving NE.
Digging trough as it approaches coast.
Want baroclinic zone near coast since low pressure tends to form
along baroclinic zones.
+PNA, -AO, and -NAO.

4. Miller A vs. Miller B Named after James Miller in 1946.
Miller A: low pressure develops in the Gulf of Mexico and rides up the East Coast.
Miller B: Low pressure comes from Canada, weakens, and redevelops in the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic.
Not all snowstorms that affect the Northeast are Miller A or Miller B.

5. Nesis Scale
Snowfall impact scale developed by Paul Kocin and Louis Uccellini.
Based on severity of event, plus population it affects.
Categories go from 1 through 5.
Only two storms were a category 5.
Superstorm of ‘93 and Blizzard of ‘96 were the two category 5’s.

6. Upper Features Prior to Development

7. Common Air Streams and Source Regions

8. Jet Stream Circulations

9. Common Satellite Image