# Storm naming

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storm-naming/675564>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 5, 2013, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storm-naming/675564 "2013-12-05T11:00:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bmasters1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@bmasters1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmasters1)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storm-naming/675564/1 "2013-12-05T11:00:30Z")

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The practice of naming normal storms (not hurricanes, just snowstorms and rain): when did that start?

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**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storm-naming/675564/2 "2013-12-05T11:20:07Z")

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[The Weather Channel says](http://www.weather.com/news/why-we-name-winter-storms-20121001) winter storms have been named in Europe since the 1950s. It is a recent development for the US market. They began in the 2012-13 winter season.

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**Author:** ![Celidin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Celidin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celidin)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storm-naming/675564/3 "2013-12-05T12:21:58Z")

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And it’s not the U.S. National Weather Service that’s naming the winter storms, it’s the Weather Channel … I’m assuming so they can market them and create fun little graphics for local news reports and such.

It’s actually funny, when TWC started doing it last year, the couple friends I have on Facebook who work for NWS were all saucy about TWC starting it because it seemed like it was coming from an independent authority.

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**Author:** ![bmasters1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@bmasters1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmasters1)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storm-naming/675564/4 "2013-12-05T13:16:04Z")

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> [@Celidin](#):
>
> And it’s not the U.S. National Weather Service that’s naming the winter storms, it’s the Weather Channel … I’m assuming so they can market them and create fun little graphics for local news reports and such.
> 
> It’s actually funny, when TWC started doing it last year, the couple friends I have on Facebook who work for NWS were all saucy about TWC starting it because it seemed like it was coming from an independent authority.

That’s what I thought it was! IIRC, a lot of local stations do the same thing.

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storm-naming/675564/5 "2013-12-05T13:54:48Z")

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There’s nothing whatsoever official about it. Just a Weather Channel marketing tool.

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**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storm-naming/675564/6 "2013-12-05T14:09:35Z")

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[GQ thread on same subject just yesterday](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=709527).