Winter Storm Names Revealed And We’re Not Ready For The Cold

If your name happens to be Spencer, you might to consider using your middle name if we end up with a winter filled with storms.

Spencer along with 25 other monikers were announced as the official winter storm names for 2024-25 by The Weather Channel.

Where Do Storm Names Come From?

Winter storm names are issued on an annual basis by The Weather Channel. Like tropical storm names, they go in alphabetical order throughout the season.

According to the American Meteorological Society, the names were needed to better organize storm information by hashtags on social media. Prior to 2011, it was difficult to tell which forecast and storm was current when social media users solely relied on general hashtags such as #winterstorm or #winterstormwarning.

In order for a winter storm to be named, it must cross at least one of three thresholds when the National Weather Service issues a winter storm warning.

"If at least 2 million people are under warnings, or the warnings cover at least 400,000 km (about the size of Montana), or it is forecast that warnings will be issued meeting one of those criteria, a storm is named," the AMS explains on its website.

How Bad Will Winter Be This Year?

The Weather Channel says we had 20 winter storms that needed to be named during the 2023-24 season, which runs October to April.

What is known as the meteorological winter begins on Dec. 1. That is when AccuWeather says we need to start being prepared for a mixed bag of wintery conditions.

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"As people prepared their skis and snowblowers with snow on their minds, AccuWeather forecasters predict that the season will be mild for most of the United States, similar to last winter, which was the warmest on record," the service says.

But that doesn't mean we are in the clear. AccuWeather predicts bitterly cold weather will overtake the eastern part of the U.S. in February thanks to the polar vortex.

Maybe just enjoy the nice weather while you still can.