You may have heard that the Weather Channel has started to name winter storms this season. I’m not a fan. What you have is a national broadcaster (that is what the Weather Channel is – a broadcaster) that has decided to name weather events on their own. There is no coordination with anyone on what gets names/what the name is. The National Weather Service does not use these names. I don’t feel these names are going to help, even in social media. Most of the reaction I’ve seen feels this is a joke.

Now, there are local stations that also name storms (WLUK and WFSB are the two that I am aware of). They are not using the names that the Weather Channel. Now, I don’t have as big of an issue with the local stations because of their limited reach.

Could naming storms become a more accepted idea? It could, but it would need more coordination and acceptance. I just can’t see the setup that is currently out there working.

Update: Added link for WLUK.