Nor'Easter: Winter's Hurricane

Written by: Jonathan Myers

Although not truly a tropical system (e.g. not a hurricane), Nor'Easters can provide the East Coast with the same conditions a hurricane does, except with a wintry twist. Typically gaining their strength over the waters of the Atlantic just off the East Coast, Nor'Easters are strong storm systems that push northeast up the Atlantic Coast, providing areas of the East Coast with strong, gusty winds, coastal flooding, and heavy precipitation. At the coast, the precipitation typically falls as mainly rain, but as one moves far enough inland during the cold season, heavy wintry precipitation can be found, including snow and sleet.

In the picture at left is a Nor'Easter centered off the Maryland/Delaware coast. It is so strong, in fact, that it takes on an eye-like feature (like what a hurricane has) at the storm's center. There is speculation among scientist that there actually may be a link between hurricanes and Nor'Easters.

The name Nor'Easter comes from the fact that as these storms climb the coast and strengthen, (at the height of the storm) they buffet shoreline areas of the East Coast with strong, gusty northeast winds.