When did we start naming winter storms? That was the question on everyone's minds on Wednesday as a Nor'easter named Athena whipped through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts.
A new naming system put in place by The Weather Channel has its roots in social media to make it easier for people to communicate and share information about winter storms. The network is the first to name them, similar to how tropical storms and hurricanes have been referenced for years.
"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," The Weather Channel meterologist Tom Niziol wrote on the site. "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."
As anticipated, it didn't take long for the name to catch on by the media and social sites, as many shared updates and pictures with the hashtag #Athena.
Last month, The Weather Channel released a list of the 26 names it will use to track noteworthy storms this season. In addition to Athena, many have mythological or historic ties, from Brutus and Caesar to Gandolf and Plato. Other interesting selections include Q — for the subway line in New York City — and Rocky for the mountain chain. For a full look at the name list, click here.
The Weather Channel said giving a storm an official name will be based on a series of objective and subjective factors, such as impact due to snow or ice within three days, disruption to road and air travel and life-threatening conditions from wind, snow, ice and cold.
What do you think of the new naming system? Will it help people better connect on social media sites and get more information? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image via Flickr, WarmSleepy.