The Weather Channel Says: It Does Too Make Sense To Name Winter Storms!


Winter storm Nemo is already bearing down on the East Coast, which may make you wonder, since when are we naming winter storms? And who has this privilege? Well, unlike hurricanes, which are named by the World Meteorological Organization, America’s winter storms are now named by the Weather Channel. Why? Basically, because they called it last November:


Hurricanes and tropical storms have been given names since the 1940s. In the late 1800s, tropical systems near Australia were named as well. Weather systems, including winter storms, have been named in Europe since the 1950s. Important dividends have resulted from attaching names to these storms:

• Naming a storm raises awareness.

This begs the question, Why aren’t winter storms named?’ In fact, in Europe the naming of weather systems has been going on for a long time.

Oh, the Weather Channel. You make a pretty compelling argument about raising awareness rather than sensationalism. That is, until you release a list of names that includes Zeus, Brutus, and Khan. Seriously. That happened.

Read more here.

[Hat tip: boingboing]

[Image: Storm via Shutterstock]MW