Nor’easter

Hurricane season officially comes to a close later this week. The season for nor’easters, however, has only just begun and typically runs through April.

A nor’easter is an intense type of winter storm that traditionally affects the east coast of the United States from the mid-Atlantic to New England. Given the name, you would think a nor’easter comes from the northeast.  The opposite, however, is true.

These storms develop when a strong area of low pressure to the south moves up the east coast and meets cold air pushing down from Canada. They are infamous for producing powerful winds, heavy rain, snow, and coastal storm surges.  The steady northeasterly wind that blows in from the ocean ahead of these storms is what gives this weather pattern its name.