The notorious New England storm system, dubbed the Norwegian Star, has intensified since the 1940s, posing an increased threat to the Northeastern U.S. coast, likely due to elevated ocean temperatures.

“The cause of rising sea surface temperatures is clear: greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on trends,” states Michael Mann from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mann and his team have compiled data on nor’easters and their trajectories over the last 85 years. They employed statistical techniques to discern patterns in maximum wind speeds and variations in precipitation during storms.

“Our findings indicate that while we couldn’t pinpoint significant changes in the average intensity of these storms, the most powerful storms are indeed gaining strength,” Mann revealed.

This phenomenon relates to how the sea temperatures that power the storms interact with various factors, including wind shear, influencing overall strength. Weaker storms tend to be more influenced by elements other than ocean temperature, which dictates potential storm strength. “Bringing a bit of personality to the analysis, these storms have the chance to realize their full potential,” Mann commented.

While hurricanes at tropical latitudes have been known to behave this way, the reaction of nor’easters to rising temperatures remains less understood. “Unlike hurricanes, nor’easters draw energy from a variety of elements,” notes Brian Tan from the University of Albany, New York.

A slight increase in both intensity and precipitation has been observed. The alteration in wind speed of the strongest storms is just shy of 2 meters per second since 1940.

Combined with rising sea levels, storm surges are causing flooding along the coast, while increases in snow and rain contribute to flooding inland. “The primary hazard is water,” Tan emphasizes.