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Subscribe to RSSThe Weather Channel plans to name severe winter storms beginning this year. NBC's Al Roker reports.
During the upcoming 2012-13 winter season, The Weather Channel will name noteworthy winter storms. Our goal is to better communicate the threat and the timing of the significant impacts that accompany these events. The fact is, a storm with a name is easier to follow, which will mean fewer surprises and more preparation.
Hurricanes and tropical storms have been given names since the 1940s. In the late 1800s, tropical systems near Australia were named as well. Weather systems, including winter storms, have been named in Europe since the 1950s. Important dividends have resulted from attaching names to these storms:
- Naming a storm raises awareness.
- Attaching a name makes it much easier to follow a weather system’s progress.
- A storm with a name takes on a personality all its own, which adds to awareness.
- In today’s social media world, a name makes it much easier to reference in communication.
- A named storm is easier to remember and refer to in the future.
Related: Check Out the New Storm Names for the 2012-2013 Season
The question then becomes: “Why aren’t winter storms named?” In fact, in Europe the naming of weather systems has been going on for a long time. Here in the U.S., summer time storms including thunderstorms and tornadoes occur on such a small time and space scale that there would be little benefit and much confusion trying to attach names to them. However, winter weather is different. Winter storms occur on a time and space scale that is similar to tropical systems.
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In fact, historically many major winter storms have been named during or after the event has occurred. Examples include “The President’s Day Storm” and “Snowmageddon.” Yet, until now, there has been no organized naming system for these storms before they impact population centers.
One of the reasons this may be true is that there is no national center, such as the National Hurricane Center, to coordinate and communicate information on a multi-state scale to cover such big events. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction’s Hydrologic Prediction Center (HPC) does issue discussions and snowfall forecasts on a national scale but it does not fill the same role as the NHC in naming storms. Therefore, it would be a great benefit for a partner in the weather industry to take on the responsibility of developing a new concept.
This is where a world-class organization such as The Weather Channel will play a significant role. We have the meteorological ability, support and technology to provide the same level of reporting for winter storms that we have done for years with tropical weather systems.
In addition to providing information about significant winter storms by referring to them by name, the name itself will make communication and information sharing in the constantly expanding world of social media much easier. As an example, hash tagging a storm based on its name will provide a one-stop shop to exchange all of the latest information on the impending high-impact weather system.
Related: Cantore's Famous "Thunder Snow" Video | Recalling Snowtober 2011
There will be many differences from the “tropical model” for naming winter storms. Unlike tropical systems, winter weather takes place at latitudes under extreme energy and forcing from the atmosphere.
Often a weather system that is expected to strike a metropolitan area three days from now has not even completely formed in the atmosphere. Therefore, naming of winter storms will be limited to no more than three days before impact to ensure there is moderate to strong confidence the system will produce significant effects on a populated area. In addition, the impacts from winter systems are not as simple to quantify as tropical systems where a system is named once the winds exceed a certain threshold.
The process for naming a winter storm will reflect a more complete assessment of several variables that combine to produce disruptive impacts including snowfall, ice, wind and temperature. In addition, the time of day (rush hour vs. overnight) and the day of the week (weekday school and work travel vs. weekends) will be taken into consideration in the process the meteorological team will use to name storms.
This is an ambitious project. However, the benefits will be significant. Naming winter storms will raise the awareness of the public, which will lead to more pro-active efforts to plan ahead, resulting in less impact and inconvenience overall.
Coordination and information sharing should improve between government organizations as well as the media, leading to less ambiguity and confusion when assessing big storms that affect multiple states. It will even make it easier and more efficient for social media to communicate information regarding the storm resulting in a better informed public. And, on the occasion that different storms are affecting separate parts of the country, naming storms will allow for clearer communications.
Finally, it might even be fun and entertaining and that in itself should breed interest from our viewing public and our digital users. For all of these reasons, the time is right to introduce this concept for the winter season of 2012-13.
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Leave a Comment:
Naming winter storms serves no purpose but to create dramatic effect as Jim Cantore breathlessly reports from the eye of a snow flurry... "I'm being pelted with snowflakes!" I (along with many others) stopped watching The Weather Channel when NBC took over and dumped doofus Al Roker onto my TV screen. Now I simply obtain my weather info online without having to listen to narcissistic idjits.
Many insurance companies, such as Allstate, have put into effect a large deductible based on whether damage has occurred from a "named storm." I changed insurance companies because of this. Many people in Southern MD where I live were surprised during last August's hurricane when instead of a deductible of several hundred dollars, they were told they owed 5% of the insured value of their home. I would be very concerned that naming winter storms will fall into this same category. Snow causes a tree to fall on your roof? Too bad, it's because of "Winter Storm Henry," so we won't pay.
Wonder if the will be partnering with other major weather outlets such as NWS, Accuweather and the major networks? It would be more effective if eveyone was on the same page (FYI - for all you political junkies The Weather Channel was another Mitt Romney/Bain Capital success story....just sayin')
Serpen hit it! Named winter storms...really?
Oh goody, more hype for an already overhyped existence. Move along, nothing here to see, people.
I am amazed that none of you see that this is just a way for the insurance companies not to give you full coverage on your home owners insurance. Every policy I have seen has a rider that redueces the coverage for damage occuring during a NAMED STORM. They make no distinction who names it. I just wonder how much the weather channel is getting paid by the insurance industry to institute this.
In Richmond, where I live, the TV announcers start the Armageddon talks when we are predicted to get a couple of inches. Schools and places of employment close in anticipation of a storm that may or may not happen. A couple of years ago an Armageddon storm never happened......everything was closed.
Now Charlotte Airport? It closed down with a 1/2" of snow a couple of years ago.
So when does the storm get named? What is Nebraska wants to claim naming rights to the storm before Kansas. Or maybe Kansas laughs at Nebraska and says, "You call that storm? Well back in 1987, now that was a storm."
Blow me.
Really? Then what purpose do the National Weather service (NWS) and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA) serve?
If they're going to name storms that usually get their names organically (ex: Blizzard of 78) they could at least spell them correctly. "Gandolf"...really?
At least this will be less confusing than the current method of referring to every storm as "The Storm of the Century" like they do now. It looks to me like just another way to try to make the weather guys look important. I know they're tired of being at the bottom of the newscaster heap. And who the heck came up with the names: Brutus, Gandolph, Rocky, Yogi? C'mon.
Seems like TWC needs a "C'mon, man" segment like the NFL pre-game show.....
I love the names! Nice picks on these to whoever decided on them!
And now the debate between the tropical storm fans and those who support winter storms. I suggest delaying the TV debates until after the political storms are past in November.
Lets all contact the weather channel and tell them how stupid this idea is. Just another hype and hysteria ploy to get their ratings up.
I still remember the flock of weather channel reporters on pensacola beach during Hurricane Dennis. They told us to go F*** ourselves when we asked if they would help out our volunteer group setting up barriers where they were filming. Apparently the milk of human kindness stops when you have your makeup on and there's no money involved.
They did scour the area afterwards looking for the "tragic stories". My second encounter was when I was helping clean-up after the storm and the sea of reporter vans piled in because of the damage.
"Tell me, did anything tragic happen here? Have you heard any stories that we should be covering?" We all replied with a slew of swear words but the message in between the colorful metaphors was clear. "The tragedy is that you vultures are here and the story you should be covering is why so many of you need to exploit us for your ratings". We also suggested that they help clean up but they couldn't be bothered and so they trucked off to the next hot scoop instead.
They got Katrina shortly afterwards and those people love being exploited. a Win-Win.
Note how they use storm names to put fear into people and expand their agenda. How many named storms were there in 2006? Yep, they used the entire list and then some. Any of those storms do anything? NOPE. How were they all reported? "The next Katrina!" 2007? same thing. 08? same thing. 09? same thing. In 2010 and 11 they must have gotten bored because they forgot to use all the names and only mentioned Katrina about twice a week during the season.
Then we had what amounted to a rainstorm this year that they named Issac or whatever and started shouting Katrina and New Orleans again every 3 minutes, (on average).
My extended family members called from Wisconsin and Minnesota because they were so frightened by what the weather channel was telling them.
I replied "It's been raining a bit and it's a little windy. The kids are outside playing in the puddles"
Don't believe the Liberal Media.
So, is this just for us in the USA? What about storms over water near, say, China? Do the Chinese get to name them? How do we ensure proper ethnic and cultural diversity in these naming schemes? Are some names going to be written in arabic? cyrillic? Egyptian hieroglyphics? I think we should have a UN panel oversee this effort....maybe they can levy a tax on countries that get to name a storm. I think we'll be in court soon over the proper number of muslim names relative to hispanic and vietnamese names.....should be fun. Come to think of it...this is a terrible idea. It's probably a Right Wing conspiracy, or a Left Wing conspiricy.....better just leave things as they are....a lot less trouble. Besides, there's something appealing about "...the Ash Wednesday Storm....."
I can't believe that only one of you see this is just another
way the insurance companies can find a way to reduce your coverage on your home
owners insurance. All HO policies I have
seen reduce the coverage for damage occurring during a NAMED STORM. They make no distinction as to who names the
storms just that they are named. I
wonder how much income the weather channel is receiving from the insurance
industry to institute this.
Got to have a blizzard/snowstorm first, before they name it. Last year in the northeast, we didn't get a lick of snow! The entire winter should have been named "Impotent", or "Limp Rister"! Maybe this year will produce something for us snowmobilers!
this will make things much easier, as the patterns in the past ten years or so has developed, many storms continuously exist for months circling the planet many times between december and april, if they had names, they could be tracked and identified, good idea.
Boring! If they are going to name winter storms at least make the names entertaining. I still have my t-shirt 'I survived the Blizzard of 79'. 'Snowmeggeddon' was pretty cool too. Oh, and I think Q is the omnipotent being from Startrek-doubt I'm gonna get a t-shirt that refers to 'Q', more likely I will find one that references something a bit more endearing and memorable-say ' The Icebomb of O12' , or the 'The storm that stole Christmas', and my fav 'The Airport Strangler' or some such nonsense.
Hopefully they'll show some restraint. The number of named hurricanes/tropical storms vs the number that remotely had any impact on anyones weather distracts from the value of naming them.
They could name the major tornado outbreaks too. It helps for future reference too so it's ok that they can't and/or shouldn't pre-name them.