The Weather Channel Releases 2014-15 Winter Storm Names, and They're TerribleThe Weather Channel Releases 2014-15 Winter Storm Names, and They're Terrible
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The Weather Channel Releases 2014-15 Winter Storm Names, and They're Terrible


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A woman drags a suitcase up the center of Main Street during a spring snowstorm in Hyannis, Mass., March 26, 2014. Image: Stephan Savoia/Associated Press
By Andrew Freedman2014-10-01 15:07:31 UTC


Opinion




The Weather Channel is continuing its practice of unilaterally naming winter storms, which it began doing two winters ago. The list of storm names for the upcoming winter came out on Wednesday, and they're awful. 
Naming any type of storm without the endorsement of the National Weather Service — which does not name anything other than tropical storms and hurricanes — is controversial within the meteorological community. 
See also: 11 Photos of Iceland's Bardarbunga Volcano Erupting That Are Just Unreal
The Weather Channel (TWC) clearly made the decision to do this in order to harness the power of social media and dominate the Twitter hashtag wars — and judging by last winter, it worked. Tom Niziol, the network's winter-storm expert, has said that the naming practice was started to help people focus on the threats these storms pose, given evidence showing that when they have names, people prepare for them more. 
Niziol is a pro at forecasting winter weather, having honed his skills at the Buffalo office of the National Weather Service (NWS), where he became a world-renowned authority on lake-effect snow. However, he and his colleagues have stumbled when it's come to winter storm names, causing unnecessary friction between TWC and the NWS.
First off, the naming criteria is not as clear cut as it is for tropical storms, since some winter storms that don't affect large numbers of people go unnamed, whereas all tropical storms with winds of between 39 and 73 mph receive a name. The same winter storm hitting North Dakota may not get a name, compared to if it were located across, say, the highly populated Mid-Atlantic states.
Regardless of where you stand on the issue of a cable network and online behemoth (TWC runs both Weather.com and Wunderground.com, two of the biggest weather websites) naming storms, there's another problem with this year's list.
From Astro to Linus, a curious list
Astro, the first name on the list, is more familiar to older Americans as a cartoon dog from The Jetsons than the Greek word for star. TWC's list also includes winter storm Cato, which the network says comes from the Roman statesman "known for integrity."
That's exactly what I want in a blizzard: integrity. 
Is the storm running for Congress, or paralyzing a city? Come on, people! 
The list reads like a rundown of characters in a long-awaited Ghostbusters sequel. There's winter storm Eris, Frona, Gorgon and Hektor. And Venus, the Greek goddess of love, is there, too. 

So, remember: When winter storm Venus comes to town, expect that while temperatures outside may plummet, things can heat up in the bedroom. 
Worst of all, we're now stuck with winter storm Linus, which TWC says comes from Greek mythology, meaning "a son of Apollo known as a great musician," but everyone knows is a meek character from Peanuts.
The bottom line is this: If you're going to keep naming winter storms over the objections of many meteorologists and everyday citizens, at least come up with a better list. 
Here's the full list of names from TWC.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.


Topics:
Climate, storm names, U.S., US & World, weather channel, Winter Storm













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