The Weather Channel's list of winter storm names is out, and yet again, it's a bizarre hodgepodge of Greek mythology-inspired monikers mixed in with some head-scratchers.
You can quibble all you want about the wisdom of a cable network arbitrarily naming winter storms -- I certainly have -- but the names are clearly designed with a hashtag in mind. That's why we don't see any storms with more than ten letters in them; instead, we get "Ajax" and "Quo."
This year, though, the network is heading into truly dangerous territory. It included "Yolo" on its list.
YOLO (translation for moms: "you only live once") implies that one should go outside and enjoy the storm. Seize the day!
Nevermind that a blizzard can be potentially deadly. Just be sure to tweet with the hashtag!
Nevermind that YOLO was popular back in 2013, and has since been replaced by FOMO ("fear of missing out") and others. Or maybe I'm just out of touch now that I'm entering my mid-30s.
The Weather Channel's names this year seem like a poorly plotted attempt to lure younger voters to a network that desperately needs them. After all, the station is legendary for being on in the background at every retirement home in the country.
There is, however, one name on the list that I can get behind: Zandor. It sounds like "Falcor," the mystical flying dog-like creature from the film The Neverending Story, which was on constant rotation on my family's VHS player growing up. It's regal, suggesting one should bow before that storm, and get inside, quickly.
I'd pay attention to the movements of winter storm #Zandor, for sure.
Personally, though, I'd rather see names bubble up on Twitter until they are widely adopted, rather than monikers being handed down by the storm wizards at TWC.