when did the weather channel start naming winter storms
Winter storm naming in the United States In November 2012, TWC began systematically naming winter storms, starting with the November 2012 nor'easter it named "Winter Storm Athena."[7] TWC compiled a list of winter storm names for the 2012â€“13 winter season. It would only name those storms that are "disruptive" to people, said Bryan Norcross, a TWC senior director.[8] TWC's decision was met with criticism from other weather forecasters, who called the practice self-serving and potentially confusing to the public.[citation needed] Naming though has been used by The Weather Channel (TWC) since 2011, when the cable network informally used the previously-coined name "Snowtober" for a 2011 Halloween nor'easter.[9][10][11][12]