What is a nor'easter and is one coming to Long Island this week?

A nor’easter could form off the East Coast later this week, potentially disrupting travel across the region, including on Long Island, and leading to moderate flooding, high winds and beach erosion, forecasters said Tuesday.

With the first major storm of the fall potentially on the horizon, here are some questions about nor'easters, and what makes them unique.

What is a nor'easter?

Nor'easters are a type of weather system that develop when there are wide areas of low pressure that intensify off the East Coast, bringing powerful northeast winds as they move up the Atlantic coast.

The storms are most prevalent during the late fall and winter and can be of varying intensities.

"We have this connotation that nor'easters equal big, huge storms but there can be weak nor'easters," said Newsday TV meteorologist Geoff Bansen. "There can be moderate sized nor'easters and huge ones. They can come in varying strengths. Some bring snow and some bring super heavy winds."

What is the difference between a nor'easter and a blizzard?

While many people equate nor'easters with snow and ice, that's often not the case, Bansen said.

Nor'easters that develop early in the season — such as the one potentially staring down Long Island this weekend, when temperature’s remain warm — rarely bring heavy snow, sleet or freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service.

While nor'easters are defined by coastal wind direction, blizzards are not relegated to the East Coast and are defined by specific conditions, such as falling or blowing snow and sustained wind gusts of 35 mph or greater for at least three hours. 

Typically, Bansen said, blizzards can be nor'easters but nor'easters are not always blizzards.

Why are nor'easters so dangerous?

Nor'easters can cause widespread damage and disruption through heavy winds, severe coastal flooding, beach erosion and sometimes blizzardlike conditions.

The storms have the potential to ground airline traffic, cause delays shipping hubs, bring down trees and cause widespread power outages, experts said.

When was the last nor'easter to hit Long Island?

A nor'easter walloped the region between Feb. 22—23, 2026, burying parts of Long Island under 30 inches of snow with hurricane-force winds of 84 mph in Montauk during the height of the storm, according to the National Weather Service. 

What are the chances for a nor'easter this weekend on Long Island?

As of Tuesday, the current track of the system remained unclear, with the potential for a classic nor'easter that could hit Long Island or miss the island altogether, according to National Weather Service meteorologist James Connolly.

Bansen said some European models track the storm close to Long Island this weekend while other models have it further east. 

While meteorologists said its still too early to say exactly how strong the winds will be, the impact will still be felt across the northeast, from Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to New York City and Boston.

"There is a growing confidence that the storm is going to be a thing," Bansen said, adding that a full moon on Saturday will likely exacerbate an already high tide and wind gusts could reach 50 mph. "Right now, it's a matter of timing and the proximity of it. Does it make a direct hit, where we're talking about soaking wind-driven rain and the highest possible wind gusts ... or is going to be a little bit weaker and move further east of the area?"

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.