[ad_1]
At ground level, nor’easters and tropical storms can feel very similar to one another. Most recently, that was the case during this past weekend’s storm that slowly moved up the East Coast.
States like New Jersey were in a state of emergency while dealing with strong gusts and coastal flooding.
Here at home, we saw wind gusts that blew past tropical storm force (39 mph) Sunday.
Areas like Erwin, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Durham and Fayetteville all saw wind gusts in excess of 39 mph.
So…why wasn’t this a tropical storm?
What’s a nor’easter?
A nor’easter is a storm system that’s common along the East Coast – mostly between September and April. The wind around the storm comes from the northeast, hence the name “nor’easter.”
Storm systems will often form along lingering frontal boundaries near the coast.
The temperature difference between the cooler air mass onland and the relatively warm ocean waters will spark what’s called “baroclinic instability,” which is why this region of the world is favored for more frequent storm systems in the fall, winter and spring months.
Nor’easter vs. tropical storm
Though they may behave similarly at times, there is one key difference in the structure of a nor’easter vs. that of a tropical storm. If you think of these systems like apples, then you can think of their cores.
At the core of a nor’easter, it’s cold. At the core of a tropical storm, it’s warm. Nor’easters are connected to frontal boundaries, whereas tropical systems act on their own.
Both are low pressure systems.
Low pressure leads to rising air and better chances of rain.
At the same time, the air tries to rush toward the center of low pressure to fill the void. The stronger the low, the stronger the wind – regardless of if it’s tropical or not.
Does it really matter?
In the case of this past weekend, I’m not sure it really mattered to those who were dealing with the effects of the storm.
Closer to home, Duck, North Carolina saw its 10th-highest water level on record. Half of these were due to tropical systems, while the other half was due to a combination of tide and a coastal low pressure system.
Sunday, it was a combination of the king tide and the nor’easter that sent water crashing over dunes and onto parts of Highway 12 near Ocracoke and Oregon Inlet.
Farther to our south, flooding took over the Grand Strand of South Carolina, while Georgetown collected nearly a foot of rain from the storm. In addition to coastal and tidal flooding, that much rain was enough to close down streets and lead to water rescues.
All up and down the East Coast, wind gusts exceeded tropical storm force (39 mph). Several buoys off our coast reported 60 to 65 mph gusts, while sensors onland from the Carolinas to Long Island reported gusts of 50 to 55 mph.
Have questions about the weather and how it works?
Send me an email with the subject line ‘Ask the Meteorologist:’ to cmichaels@wral.com.
[ad_2]