Satellite image of winter storm hitting the Northeast.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) - If you've read recent headlines you might be wondering, isn't Nemo a Disney character? For many it is, but for the Weather Channel it's the name of a winter storm hitting the northeast.
The storm is bringing several inches of snow, grounding flights, and putting emergency responders on high alert.
Last year, the private company announced their plan to name winter storms, and the idea isn't quite catching on with local media and the National Weather Service.
Nemo is just one name on the list, which includes Athena and Brutus. They say the move will raise awarenes,s and some agree.
"If they want to do it for history. I mean, that's a good way of naming the file I would say," said Teresa Fulmer of Greenville. "Everybody has to do things a little different. It don't hurt to be different."
"I think that's a really good idea because it makes the storm, you know 10, 20 years from now, you can remember that storm when you hear the name. It gives you something concrete to hang on to in your memory," added Sue Whittier, a snow bird from Pennsylvania.
The naming of winter storms will have a negative impact because everyone isn't on board, according to WPDE NewsChannel 15 Chief Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski.
"When it comes to winter storms only The Weather Channel is doing that and I think it causes a lot of confusion because the National Weather Service is not doing it and neither is the local media. When you have confusion your talking about more people dying. So unless everybody is on board, it really is a waste of time for one entity to just name storms, winter storms," he explained.
Piotrowski isn't alone in his opinion. Many have shared their dislike for the private company's decision on their website, calling it an attempt to make more money.
"Publicity ploy, attempt to gain a more forward position in the weather media game. If they truly were magnanamous about this, they would've formed a group of other weather media, and the National Weather Service in a joint effort. Nope, it's just for publicity and more revenue," wrote Ed Snow.
Piotriowski also said there's another problem, "Naming hurricanes is pretty simple. There's pretty strict criteria in that. There isn't when it comes to a winter storm. What affects one particular neighborhood may not be the same ten or fifteen miles down the road. So there's really not a good indicator when it comes to winter storms when they should name them or when they shouldn't. With hurricanes, 39 miles per hour you got a tropical storm, 74 we got a hurricane. Everybody knows that and that's the one message we put out."
The move by the Weather Channel will likely remain unique to their broadcast unless the National Weather Service follows suit, according to Piotrowski.
