here's the weather on top of me now. the weather is mostly coming off the sea from the south right now, but notice how the pattern is very subtly turning counter-clockwise (pretend, OK?)  for example notice the few straggling radar reflections moving due west into boston.  right now i am at the 1 or 2 o'clock position relative to the storm, and the winds --which move around the storm counter-clockwise --are coming from the south east.  as the storm moves out to sea, it will probably strengthen, slowly it seems in the case of this storm, and New England will eventually be in the ten o'clock position relative to the storm.  Then the winds, snow, and sleet moving counter-clockwise around the storm will be coming at us from the northeast, hence the term Nor'Easter. 

such juxtapositions of storm, sea, and land have often created very severe weather, including my favorite, the Blizzard of '78.  We didn't give the Nor'Easter its own name just because we are pretentious.  It was named many generations ago by taciturn New Englanders who would never admit it, but who secretly love a really good storm. 

and with that, i am going for a walk...