At ground level, nor'easters and tropical storms can feel very similar to one another. Most recently, that was the case during this past weekend's storm that slowly moved up the East Coast.

States like New Jersey were in a state of emergency while dealing with strong gusts and coastal flooding.

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Here at home, we saw wind gusts that blew past tropical storm force (39 mph) Sunday.

Areas like Erwin, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Durham and Fayetteville all saw wind gusts in excess of 39 mph.

So...why wasn't this a tropical storm?

What's a nor'easter?

A nor'easter is a storm system that's common along the East Coast - mostly between September and April. The wind around the sto

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