Wilma Slightly Amplifies Noreaster

Posted on October 25, 2005

MSNBC.com is reporting that a Nor'easter has formed and is being amplified by Hurricane Wilma, which is located very far offshore. The NWS said the storm is a strong storm even without Wilma's help.

An early nor'easter reinforced by distant Hurricane Wilma on Tuesday pounded beaches with 20-foot waves, knocked out power to thousands of people and spread rain across the Northeast, where many residents were still cleaning up from flooding earlier in the month.

The low pressure system has intensified with added moisture from Wilma.

Twenty-foot waves eroded New Jersey beaches. Dozens of flights were canceled at Boston's Logan Airport and gusts to 70 mph were reported on Cape Cod.
The storm was drawing moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Wilma, which was passing far offshore after battering Florida a day earlier.
"It's getting some energy from Wilma, but it's its own separate system," said Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton. The nor'easter is "going to be a good storm in it's own right."

Despite the strong winds and rain the Northeast is actually very lucky compared to how bad it would have been if Wilma had hugged the east coast on its way north. Fortunately Wilma is 600 miles to the east and is moving north rapidly at a speed of over 50 mph.

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