When The Weather Channel took it upon itself to start naming winter storms a few years ago, it also assumed some creative license in that task. After all, unlike government-dictated hurricane names, these snowstorm names are unofficial.
On Tuesday, TWC released its list of 26 names that could be assigned to major storms this upcoming season. But besides names inspired by Greek mythology and biblical lore (Hera, Troy and Goliath are a few examples), TWC also included a name of unusual origin: “Yolo.”
As The Weather Channel explained in its announcement, Yolo is an acronym that stands for “you only live once”—a phrase to encourage daring acts, popularly used in text messages and online chatrooms alongside “lol” and “lmao.” But by TWC’s definition, Yolo has greater meaning and importance as it’s “the modern version of the Latin phrase, carpe diem, which is usually translated ‘seize the day,'” according to the announcement.
At least, as a mantra for dealing with snowstorms and icy sidewalks, either yolo or cape diem will suffice. As TWC noted in a video accompanying the release, Yolo is also the name of a county in northern California.
