James Spann is Still The Man

The 2014 Snowpocalypse took us all by surprise. As snow fell across Central Alabama, thousands were stranded on roadways, all gridlocked in an absolute nightmare. Cars were abandoned; parents couldn't get to their children in schools and daycares, and conditions worsened as the day progressed. It was a far cry from the day's original forecast: a dusting of snow.

Yesterday's snowfall was completely unexpected, and the forecast was a total bust. I saw updates and tweets all blaming Alabama's resident weather expert, James Spann. Most of those tweets and updates are something I can't share here because I don't feel like racking up a hardcore FCC fine. The point is, yesterday's weather sucked; we all wanted someone to blame--so why not blame James Spann?

It's no one's fault. James Spann may be the Patron Saint of Severe Weather Coverage, but he's a human. He makes mistakes. Yesterday's whack forecast does not rest solely on the shoulders of James Spann. It ALL went wrong--from erroneous information from the National Weather Service to cities and counties unprepared to salt and scrape the roads. As a result, highways and interstates looked like something out of a Cormac McCarthy novel. It was surreal, but it's not the fault of any one person or agency.

It's the weather, and who can control that?

James Spann acknowledged the role his faulty forecast played in yesterday's chaos. I appreciate his humility, and I also appreciate his efforts to keep us safe and informed throughout the day and into the night. He couldn't get to the ABC 33/40 studios yesterday, so he walked. Dude WALKED in the cold to get to the station. He cares about his job; he cares about the thousands of people who depend upon his forecasts. There's a reason we all trust James Spann The Weather Man: he CARES.

If you want to blame James, I don't want to hear it. I dare you to find any other meteorologist--or person--who cares more about the safety of Alabamians than James. In my book, he's still #1.

James Spann is still the man. End of discussion, and Roll Tide.