When it first broke that there are the makings for a Nor'easter this week my first thought was, "OMG NO" because I'm definitely not ready for snow. Not this early and, to be honest, never. Except Christmas. Christmas gets a pass.

Snow is what I think of when I hear the word "Nor-easter" and not just a dusting. I'm talking lots of plowable snow, wind, power outages...my personal nightmare fuel.

Upon further inspection, I didn't see a bit of snow in the forecast. So, what the heck? Apparently, my definition of a Nor'easter wasn't completely accurate.

According to the National Weather Service, the storms usually start between Georgia and New Jersey and gain intensity as they move northeast up the coast into New England. Which makes total sense for the term, Nor'easter. A key element is precipitation, not just snow. heavy rain can certainly qualify for a Nor'easter which is what we can expect later this week as well as that strong northeast wind.

Courtesy of Tony Loiko
Courtesy of Tony Loiko
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The Weather Channel notes that Nor'easters can develop in two different ways:

The first is a "Miller Type-A" storm which is the most typical and develops along the Gulf Coast or East Coast and goes northeastward.

The second type is a "Miller Type-B" storm that develops in the Midwest and travels along the Appalachians.

So there's your crash course on Nor'Easters. In a nutshell, it's a storm with heavy precipitation and strong winds that travels northeast. The storm this week will be wet, for sure, but no need to dig out the shovels just yet. This Nor'easter could cause flooding so be sure to prepare for that and check those sump pumps! And if you haven't yet, it may be time to bring that patio furniture indoors. Those winds could put your table through your window or blow the chairs down the road.

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