So, at the start of October the Weather channel made the decision to
begin naming Winter storms. The idea is that by naming the storm they have something catchy and memorable to call the event while also likening it to a hurricane, which in theory should prompt people to take the storms more seriously. Given that we've gotten swamped by a few huge blizzards in the last couple of years (the '10 hurricane that flattened the midwest comes to mind) this is probably a good idea. Critics have said that this is just a marketing ploy by the Weather channel to draw in more viewers, and while this is probably very true, making people more aware of the Weather should be a good thing, right?
Well, the first major winter storm of the season is hitting in the aftermath of Sandy, and they've named it
Athena. The Blizzards are all named after mythological figures, a contrast to the more mundane naming scheme of Hurricanes, to differentiate the two. Also, probably marketing. I like it, myself. Maybe we'll see Winter Storm Eris this year. And twitter, conforming to TWC's wildest hopes and dreams, have made #athena a
trending hashtag for people to spread news about the Blizzard and link back to TWC.
All this added Blizzard awareness is a great thing, right? Everybody knows the storm is coming and can see how severe it is without having to rely slavishly on terms like "a blizzard" or "a noreaster". Great job, TWC. A round of applause from everyone...
Except for the National Weather Service, who is
throwing a huge goddamn hissy fit over it.
Thoughts?