With football recruiting season in full swing, what better time for a non-football distraction!

Weather in Alabama is just as interesting as recruiting (perhaps even more interesting when temperatures drop and there is a good flow of moisture into the state.) You go to a meeting, people talk about the weather, you visit with family and the weather inevitably comes up. And for good reason, you either get severe storms, excessive heat or snow concerns living in this state–Alabama weather is interesting.

Weathermen here are celebrities. And who could argue in the Birmingham area that James Spann is the biggest name.

Now, Spann has gotten national attention standing up to the global warming thought police.

Earlier this week, Dr. Heidi Cullen of the Weather Channel posted, in her blog, an attack on weathermen who “deny man-made global warming.” Cullen went so far as to urge the American Meteorological Society (AMS) to pull its certification from weathermen who deny the truth. That generated a lot of criticism from meteorologists.

Spann responded with a blog entry last night:

Well, well. Some climate expert on The Weather Channel wants to take away AMS certification from those of us who believe the recent global warming is a natural process. So much for tolerance, huh?

I have been in operational meteorology since 1978, and I know dozens and dozens of broadcast meteorologists all over the country. Our big job: look at a large volume of raw data and come up with a public weather forecast for the next seven days. I do not know of a single TV meteorologist who buys into the man-made global warming hype.


Spann’s opinion made the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee blog, which even got him a mention on the front of the Drudge Report.

Spann’s blog is worth checking out even when not in the middle of a global warming controversy.

COMMENT
To comment on this post, click here and visit our forum. You’ll also find discussion about other news, the Arkansas soap opera and other news.

ALABAMA NEWS
For constantly updated breaking news about Alabama football and other sports, visit our news page. You can find this great link to a story on how Saban’s arrival has helped weaken a Michigan commit (a great all-around player) and how the recruit is now considering Alabama.