James Spann Shares the Experiences that Shaped his Passion for Weather Safety

President Jeff Stone and VP of Club Service Cal Dodson with James Spann

This week the Rotary Club of Birmingham welcomed James Spann, Chief Meteorologist at ABC 33/40 and a 47-year veteran of broadcast meteorology. Spann shared stories spanning from his roots in Greenville, Alabama, to his 42-year career in weather.

Spann shared vivid personal stories that formed an early passion for weather. He detailed experiences covering Alabama's most memorable weather events, including the super tornado outbreak of 1974, the winter storm of 1993 and the tragic events of April 27, 2011, that shaped his mission to improve weather communication and save lives.

A passionate advocate for weather safety, Spann emphasized the importance of weather radios and community storm shelters, announcing plans to establish community shelters. He also announced the launch of the Alabama Weather Network, which aims to deliver severe weather alerts across the state—especially in underserved rural areas.

Rotarian Michael Lynch’s son Harvey helps present a cookie cake to James Spann following his presentation

Bio for James Spann

James Spann has been a professional meteorologist for 47 years, and for the last 29 years he has served as chief meteorologist for ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. He has over 2 million combined social media followers, and does weather programs for children almost daily.

James was one of the first in the nation to earn "Certified Broadcast Meteorologist" status from the American Meteorological Society. To earn the CBM, broadcasters must hold a degree in meteorology or equivalent from an accredited college or university, pass a rigorous written examination, and have their on-air work reviewed to assess technical competence, informational value, explanatory value, and communication skills. 

James was honored as one of the “Top 100 Outstanding Alumni” of the Mississippi State Department of Geosciences in 2016.

The University of West Alabama conferred an honorary doctor of laws degree to James in 2013.

James has served as Chairman of the Board of Grandview Medical Center for 20 years, and leads children’s worship weekly at Double Oak Community Church in Mt. Laurel. James and his wife Karen have been married for 44 years and have two grown sons.