Weather Channel says it will begin naming winter storms

The Weather Channel said last week that it would begin naming winter storms this year.

Storm names might include Roman, Greek and other historical figures like "Rocky," "Khan" and "Gandolf" – not the Lord of the Rings one but a more obscure one from a 19th century fantasy novel.

The idea is to both raise awareness about the storms and possibly to make winter more bearable somehow.

It is also likely a publicity stunt by the channel.

“Winter weather certainly has an attitude and takes on a certain personality,” said Tom Niziol, a winter weather expert for the Channel, reported the New York Daily News.

“Naming winter storms will raise awareness, which will lead to more pro-active efforts to plan ahead, resulting in less impact on the public overall."

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The names were chosen by a group of senior meteorologists who chose one for every letter of the alphabet.

The Weather Channel announced that the storms would not be named until three days before the storm, said AlpineZoneNews.

The Alaska Dispatch said the names will be tailored to the storms based on a number of traits.

Snowfall, wind severity and ice accumulation will all be factors in the naming of the storm, though it is unclear what "Khan" would signify in winter weather.

Winter storms have been named in Europe since the 1950s, said the Daily News, while tropical storms have been named in the US since the 1940s.