The Weather Channel to Start Naming Winter Storms This Year

Posted on October 2, 2012

Winter is coming and The Weather Channel (TWC) has decided to start naming Winter Storms for the 2012-2013 winter season. TWC's reasons for doing this include naming a storm raises awareness and named storm's are easier to communicate and remember.

TWC says its naming of storms will be limited to no more than three days before impact. Its process for naming a storm will include a "complete assessment of several variables that combine to produce disruptive impacts including snowfall, ice, wind and temperature."

Tom Niziol, winter weather expert for The Weather Channel Companies, said in a statement, "On a national scale, the most intense winter storms acquire a name through some aspect of pop culture and now, social media, for example Snowmaggeddon and Snotober. Retrospectively naming lake effect storms has been a local success at The National Weather Service office in Buffalo, NY as well as with Weather Services throughout Europe and we believe it can be a useful tool on a national scale in the U.S."

Here is a list of the winter storm named for 2012:

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