Since when have Winter Storms been Named?

I’ve been hearing reports of the winter storm Juno over the last couple of days, and am pleased that it has caused less disruption than was expected, although anyone expecting a delivery on the East Coast of America should be aware that there are likely to be delays.

I like the name Juno, not only as it reminds me of the 2007 film, but I think it’s rather hippy vibe to it, but since when have winter storms been named?  I know that hurricanes are given names as in certain parts of the world, the Atlantic Basin for example; it is common for multiple storms to reach tropical strength in one area at one time.  The naming would go to help identify each weather system, which helps avoid confusion between each hurricane, but his is the first time I’ve been aware of a winter storm being named.

So I thought I would have a look into why the storm was named.

After a little research it seems that this is a convention started by in the US, more specifically by The Weather Channel, a cable TV station.  The Weather Channel have been giving identifying names to these winter storms since 2011.

It would seem that The Weather Channel have caused a fair bit of controversy over the years by naming such storms and the names are not recognised by the wider weather service bodies and organisations.

Personally, I don’t see the harm in giving a weather system a “pet” name, it’s rather endearing, and makes listening to weather reports a little more engaging.