What is a Miller Type D nor’easter?

One of the three lesser-known classifications of nor’easters is the Miller Type D, which occurs during energized periods of the subtropical jet.

The concept of Miller Type C, Miller Type D, and Miller Type E nor’easters gained increased acceptance during the 2000s, as climatologists began exploring alternatives to the more well-known Miller Type A and Miller Type B storm systems.

All of these storm types are named after researcher J.E. Miller, who studied them in the 1940s, and they share several key similarities.

These powerful storm systems impact the Eastern Seaboard during the fall and winter, bringing gusty winds, heavy precipitation and coastal flooding.

Depending on the availability of cold air, a large portion of the precipitation can fall in frozen form, giving rise to terms such as “snowmageddon” and “snowpocalypse” to describe these intense events.

During more significant episodes, airports along the Eastern Seaboard have been shut down, and the combination of extreme weather impacts has led to billions of dollars in damages.

WHAT IS A NOR’EASTER?

What is a Miller Type D nor’easter and who does it impact?

Unlike most other types of nor’easters, Miller Type D events most often occur during an El Niño cycle.

The warm cycle of the El Niño Southern Oscillation is known to increase the activity of the southern tropical jet, which aids in moisture and storm development.

During a Type D setup, the northern jet is usually well far displaced from the storm system, with the greatest typical snowfall occurring from the Georgia mountains, through eastern Tennessee, the Carolinas, through Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula.

Unlike other types of nor’easters, this event only involves one area of low pressure, which begins in the western Gulf and slowly organizes and strengthens along the Interstate 10 corridor.

Once the nor’easter traverses Florida into the southwest Atlantic, the main area of the low pressure stays well offshore, limiting impacts from the Northeast.

Due to the system’s track, severe weather is not a major factor except in the southern parts of the Sunshine State, where the limited warm side of the storm system exists.

Beaches from Georgia through the Carolinas and Virginia usually take a beating due to the significant counterclockwise flow around the intensifying area of low pressure.

WHAT DOES RAIN SMELL LIKE?

Historical examples of Miller Type D nor’easters

Feb. 17-18, 1989: Southeast snowstorm

A quickly-moving area of low pressure caught parts of the mid-Atlantic off-guard in mid-February 1989 with blizzard conditions in Virginia and a foot of snow as far south as North Carolina’s Triad. 

According to National Weather Service records, the Norfolk, Virginia, area saw its snowiest day with some 13.6 inches of snow over the coastal community.

Coastal communities from North Carolina southward only experienced precipitation in the liquid variety but saw wind gusts of 40-60 mph.

During the winter of 2025, Norfolk received an eye-popping 10.2 inches of snow, but according to meteorologists, the event resembled a Miller Type A storm because of the origin of areas of low pressure.

The Hampton Roads area typically only sees around half a foot of snow spread out over a four-month period, making the heavy snowfall events associated with nor’easters a rare occurrence.

Jan. 25-26, 1987: Superbowl snowstorm

A nor’easter was part of a series of storm systems during an unusually active January along the East Coast in 1987.

The Miller Type D nor’easter occurred when the Super Bowl was being held in Pasadena, California, hence the name “Super Bowl snowstorm.”

Snowfall stretched from the Tennessee Valley through southern New England, but the Virginia, D.C. and Delmarva areas were hit particularly hard.

According to NOAA observations, about a foot of snow fell around the nation’s capital, which was on top of a foot of snow that was already on the ground from wintry weather just days before.

Most federal government offices were closed on the preceding day, but due to a lack of snow removal, chaos ensued when employees attempted to return to work during the storm’s immediate aftermath.