JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Not all Nor’easters are created equal. This week in Florida, we get both versions: the soggy kind and the blustery, but mostly dry version.
What makes a true Nor’easter?
A Nor’easter is not just any breezy day with northeast winds. It’s a strong extratropical cyclone that often spins up explosively, a process called cyclogenesis. Nor’easters are prone to the U.S. East Coast because of one thing: geography.
Classic Nor’easters form where cold continental air crashes into the warm Gulf Stream offshore, which is typically north of the mid-Atlantic coastline. That sharp temperature contrast fuels a powerhouse storm, pulling in deep moisture and driving persistent northeast winds.
Florida, however, rarely experiences these textbook systems. Just look at our coastline. Our cooler shelf waters separate the Gulf Stream by at least 70 miles, so we miss out on the dramatic warm/cold collision that gives rise to those classic, snow-piling, nor’easter-style tempests like in New England.
Local Nor’easter version
Here in North Florida, we still get our own knock-off brand. Local Nor’easters can be either wet or dry depending on the setup.
The first system fits the “wet” variety. A stalled front is draped across the state, locking in tropical moisture. Meanwhile, low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico is lifting that moisture into the atmosphere, sparking widespread rain. Add in high pressure over the Appalachian Mountains, and you’ve got stronger-than-normal northeast winds funneled straight into our area.
Even when no fronts are around, northeast winds can still converge into a trough along the coast, kicking up lines of showers. It doesn’t take much to give us the feel of a Nor’easter without the full-blown cyclone.
The timeline: rain, then wind
The soggy side of this Nor’easter winds down midweek. By Wednesday, the rain shifts south toward Flagler and St. Johns counties before tapering off. Sunshine returns Thursday with weaker winds.
But that doesn’t mean we’re done with Nor’easters.
Round two: the dry Nor’easter
This weekend delivers another version. Saturday and Sunday, we’ll still have breezy northeast winds, but the rain likely won’t be there.
This time, a strong ridge of high pressure along the eastern seaboard will drive the gusts without providing the deep moisture needed for downpours. Think more about hair-whipping winds on the beach rather than rain-soaked commutes.