"So what are the criteria for a storm to get a name?

The operative word is impactful. If it's disruptive to people's lives. If its disruptive to travel. If people might want to think about changing their travel plans because of an impact to roads, we'll name it. We're confining it to 72 hours before the effects of a storm to minimize naming storms that do not have an impact

One further consideration is the time and population affected. A close call on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is more likely to get a name than another Wednesday during the winter, and a close call on Atlanta is more likely to get a name than a storm in southern Georgia or the mountains of North Carolina. We have a team of senior meteorologists that will make the final call."