Nor'easter

An extratropical cyclone that pinwheels up the Atlantic coast with winds out of the northeast, slamming the New England and Mid-Atlantic shore with snow, sideways rain, and storm surge. A bad Nor'easter can shut down Boston and New York for days, and beachfront houses on the Outer Banks or Cape Cod live or die by them. The contraction is non-negotiable: never 'northeaster' in actual New England speech.