US snow forecast: What is a Nor’easter and when will it hit East Coast USA?

THE UNITED States East Coast was battered by a ferocious Nor’Easter yesterday leaving almost a third of a million people without power. What is a Nor’easter and when will it hit East Costa USA?

At least nine people died, including an 11-year-old and a 6-year-old, in the dramatic storms which saw people flee from their home s- with others forced out by flooding.

Shelters have been opened and a number of schools have closed in some regions with no power.

Now many residents are now bracing themselves for round two with a second storm forecast to roll into the region late Tuesday.

And as East Coast states begin the tiresome cleanup work, some 33million people remain under a winter storm watch warning again.

What is a Nor’easter?

According to AccuWeather, a nor'easter is a storm that mainly affects the northeastern part of the United States.

A Nor’easter storm forms along the East coast as warm air from the Atlantic Ocean clashes with arctic cold to the north and west- getting its name from the northeasterly winds that blow in from the ocean.

Nor'easters can occur at any time but are most common between the months of September through April.

Meteorologist Brian Edwards says around three nor'easters impact the US a year - and heavy snow and hurricane-force winds can occur on the northwest side of the nor'easter.

USA winter storm: Nor'easter mapWEATHER CHANNEL

USA winter storm: Nor'easter heading for USA East Coast today

He added the main difference between a hurricane and nor'easter is the size of the wind field.

According to NOAA, a wind field is the three-dimensional spatial pattern of winds.

"Hurricanes have a narrow field of strong winds with a concentration around the centre, whereas a nor'easter's winds are spread out," Edwards said.

When will the nor’easter hit East Coast USA?

The second Nor'easter is expected to hit the East Coast on Tuesday evening.

The storm, starting with heavy, wet snow and gusting winds, is expected to continue into Wednesday and Thursday.

USA winter storm: no travel advisory MNDOT

USA winter storm: A no travel advisory has been issued

US winter stormNEWS 12

US winter storm: Around three nor'easters impact the US a year

“This whole storm is progressing towards the north and the east," said Ari Sarsalari, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel, adding: "The good news with this one is it's not going to be quite as bad."

NBC News meteorologist Sherri Pugh said it would be "later this week that energy gets transferred into a coastal storm, and that's our Nor'easter."

"That doesn't mean it's bringing blizzard conditions here," Pugh said. "It's a different impact in the two regions.

"The snow could reach closer to the coast," Pugh said. "It's the kind of snow amounts that could cause travel problems and power outages."

But Pugh said that this nor'easter was moving quicker than the last and that "hopefully we won't have hours and hours of that high-tide flooding."