# Named Storms?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/named-storms/675496>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 4, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/named-storms/675496 "2013-12-04T18:02:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/named-storms/675496/1 "2013-12-04T18:02:20Z")

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A headline on my Facebook page this morning reads: “Winter Weather Live Updates: Winter Storm Cleon, Arctic Blast Underway”

I know all about tropical storms, hurricanes and typhoons being named, but when did they start naming snow storms? Is this a relatively new thing or did I just never notice them before? And how big does a storm have to be before it gets a name?

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**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/named-storms/675496/2 "2013-12-04T18:22:28Z")

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I suspect you’re looking at a Weather Channel feed. They started naming winter storms last year. The National Weather Service and basically every other weather organization is trying to ignore them since they think it’s a pretty silly idea.

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/named-storms/675496/3 "2013-12-04T18:38:37Z")

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Weather Channel  
[ul]  
[li][Why The Weather Channel is Naming Winter Storms](http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/why-we-name-winter-storms-20121001)[/li][li] [Winter Storm Names 2013-14: What They Are and What They Mean](http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-names-2013-2014-20131001)[/li][/ul]

Everyone Else  
[ul]  
[li] [Why TWC is Wrong to Name Winter Storms](http://www.wunderground.com/blog/MAweatherboy1/why-twc-is-wrong-to-name-winter-storms)[/li][li] [Stop The Weather Channel from naming winter storms](https://www.facebook.com/StopWeatherChannelFromNamingWinterStorms)[/li][li] [National Weather Service says no to naming storms](http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/268334/226/National-Weather-Service-says-no-to-naming-storms)[/li][li] [TV weathercasters criticize unilateral action by The Weather Channel on storm naming](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/tv-weathercasters-criticize-unilateral-action-by-the-weather-channel-on-storm-naming/2012/10/03/2b975a92-0d64-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_blog.html)[/li][/ul]  
It’s publicity for TWC. Perhaps they think their ad revenue and viewership is more important than accurate reporting and safety.

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/named-storms/675496/4 "2013-12-05T01:33:35Z")

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Thanks Duckster. Great answer. Ignorance fought.