I think this is a better idea than naming winter storms, the comparison we seem to have settled on. The first criterion is coherence: a hurricane has a (somewh

I think this is a better idea than naming winter storms, the comparison we seem to have settled on. The first criterion is coherence: a hurricane has a (somewhat) well-defined magnitude while frontal systems have different intensity in different places, highly subject to geography. A heat wave is more well-defined than a front but less than a hurricane. However, the more important thing to know is that extreme heat is already the deadliest form of weather event in the United States and will likely get worse in the coming years. Being able to put a name to the phenomenon that killed your grandmother has a powerful psychological effect. See: https://weather.com/safety/news/2019-09-17-top-cause-weather-fatalities-nws-cwa-united-states-map https://weather.com/safety/news/2019-09-17-top-cause-weather...