Don’t like the weather?In most of the United States, there’s more than one weather system to choose from! Move west and you might find yourself having to deal with torrential rainstorms, move north and you’ll be greeted by blizzards, and tornadoes if you head south. However, there’s also a great variety to the east coast weather as well!The northeast region is a rather special place in that it gets all three of these severe types of weather simultaneously; here they’re known as nor’easters. Nor’easter is a tropical cyclone. Named from the northeast wind which blows from the northeast. It proceeds from the east coast to the west coast.Nor’easters are some of the most widespread storms in the US and Canada. They are semi-permanent cyclones that are usually located between the Canadian Maritimes and the mid-Atlantic states. They are common all year round but are most common during fall and winter, especially in the North Atlantic. In this article, we will discuss some interesting facts about nor’easter and its frequency in the North East.Nor’easter MeaningA nor’easter is a strong, winter storm that occurs in the southern part of the United States and the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, primarily in the winter. It is also known as a ’northeaster’ or a ’nor’easter’ in North America.A nor’easter is a North Easterly windstorm that blows in from the direction of north-east, hence the name.In the ’40s, meteorologist J. E. Miller categorized nor’easters into two different categories based on their pressure characteristics and the effects they have had on weather patterns in New England since then.Miller’s Type A nor’easter storms form in the Gulf of Mexico and move along the East Coast. These storms are usually at their worst during winter, but they can occur year-round.Type B nor’easters develop in the United States Midwest and grow as low-pressure systems. They diminish after crossing the Appalachian Mountains and reform into nor’easters on the coast of North America.Nor’easters are named after the direction from which they blow; namely, the northeast. Nor’easters typically blow over the states making up New England and the Mid-Atlantic.They are named so because of where they generally travel, namely the northeast states.Why does a nor’easter happen?Hurricanes and tropical storms are familiar terms, especially in late summer and early fall but, contrary to what many people think, a nor’easter is neither a hurricane nor a tropical storm.Nor’easter is the name for the winter storms that originate off the US East Coast, often in the Atlantic but sometimes in the Pacific as well.The name itself was coined by sailors in the northeast, who noticed that storms coming from the northeast in the cold winter air brought strong winds.The source of a nor’easter is warm ocean current from the Atlantic Ocean, which evaporates into the atmosphere above the ocean before rising to fall as freezing rain or snow over coastal areas due to wind direction and temperature.The extra moisture adds weight to drops of rain or snow, causing them to fall faster.Cold air blows southward out of Canada and eastward toward the warm water of the ocean.The warm coastal waters from the Gulf Stream cause a low-pressure system to form, which in turn leads to clouds forming over the Atlantic Ocean and ultimately, causes a storm to develop.Characteristics Of Nor’easterTropical cyclones, which occur in the northern hemisphere, are known as nor’easters. They have caused major damage in coastal states of the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom. A nor’easter is known to cause extensive flooding and they have been compared to hurricanes. Understanding their characteristics of them will help you to predict and prepare for a nor’easter storm.More specifically, the low-pressure system is a cyclone located off the eastern coast whose left forward quadrant has winds that rotate towards land from the northeast.The precipitation pattern for this kind of tropical storm is similar to that of an extra-tropical storm.Coastal flooding and erosion are all too common in the northeast during nor’easters.Hurricanes can bring heavy rain, wind, and sometimes snow to coastal areas in the northeast.These storms that drop a lot of water can also cause flooding and lead to erosion.Nor’easters are associated with one of three different fronts; warm, cold, or occluded.Nor’easters are known to bring very cold, moist air down from the arctic regions.These weather systems tend to thrive on the converging air masses; that is, the polar cold air mass as well as the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.They will often develop between 30 degrees north and 35 degrees north.Nor’easters begin to form within 100 mi (160.93 km) of the east coast that stretches between New Jersey and Georgia.They can have winds as strong as 75 mph (120.70 kph) and exacerbate conditions for people who experience this extreme weather phenomenon.Nor’easters and extra-tropical storms are devastating events that wreak havoc on any coastline.These large systems impact an extremely wide area, so there is undoubtedly going to be some sort of damage.While the slower wind speed of a nor’easter may at first glance seem harmless, it is one of the reasons these winter storms can linger over a smaller area for days, causing tremendous destruction.When does a nor’easter occur?Many people know about hurricanes and typhoons but very few people know about nor’easters. Nor’easter is a tropical cyclone. They occur primarily in winter. Nor’easter is a meteorological term applied to the northeast part of a cyclone that affects the northeast coast of North America. They are similar to the hurricane and typhoon cyclone, as they can produce large forces, gales, and wind that are very strong and can cause damage, but they are cold cyclones.Nor’easters can happen any time of year but are most common during the fall and winter months (September - April).They are windy and may bring heavy rains but the name ’nor’easter’ is derived from the northeast coastal region where they are common.The National Weather Service defines a nor’easter as ‘a storm along a cold front with strong northeasterly winds and typically has heavy rains, high winds, and coastal flooding. The low-pressure area is most often in the form of a closed low.‘Nor’easters generally occur in the winter months and most have a life span of no more than three days.Nor’easters sweep in from Canada and the northeast.They travel down the coasts of Maine and New Jersey, bringing fierce winds and knocking out power for days at a time.A nor’easter is a type of tropical cyclone that forms on the eastern coast of the United States. Nor’easters form in the Atlantic Ocean as tropical waves and develop hurricane-force winds as they move up the coast. These storms can cause blizzard conditions and flooding. It is also known as a hurricane or a winter hurricane. Nor’easter storms form in the Gulf of Mexico and move along the East Coast. These storms are usually at their worst during winter, but they can occur year-round.Hope you enjoyed these amazing facts about nor’easters!
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