The combination was favorable for a nor'easter to form,[3] and on November 7, a strong low pressure area developed along the coast of North Carolina.

[4] At the time, there was an area of cold air inland the Mid-Atlantic States and New England that would allow the precipitation to fall as snow.

[5] By November 8, the system drifting to the northeast, located about 90 mi (140 km) south-southeast of Boston, Massachusetts, with a front extending northeastward to Nova Scotia.

[7] Immediately after Hurricane Sandy made landfall, forecasters were already discussing the possibility of a nor'easter directly impacting New Jersey during the following week.

[12] Due to sufficiently cool air and steady snowfall, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning.

[16] Across New Jersey and New York, the storm dropped rain and snow in areas that sustained significant damage from Hurricane Sandy about ten days prior.