If you live in Alabama, you don't check the weather app. You check the man in the suspenders.
Specifically, you check James Spann on Twitter. It’s been that way for a generation. Honestly, in a world where "influencer" usually means someone trying to sell you a gummy vitamin, Spann is a weird, beautiful anomaly. He’s a guy who has spent nearly 50 years looking at radar screens and, somehow, turned a social media platform known for chaos into a literal lifeline for millions.
But here's the thing: it’s not just about the rain. It’s about the culture.
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The Jacket, the Suspenders, and the "Poly"
If you see a tweet from James Spann and he's still wearing his suit jacket, you can probably keep finishing your sandwich. You’re fine. But the second that jacket hits the floor? That’s when the "sleeves up" memes start.
It’s basically the Alabama version of the Defcon scale.
Spann has built this incredible shorthand with his audience. He talks about the "polygon" like it’s a sacred object. You’ve probably seen the phrase "Respect the Polygon" plastered across T-shirts and coffee mugs. It refers to the specific storm-based warning boxes drawn by the National Weather Service. Spann’s whole mission on Twitter is to get people to stop relying on those old-school sirens—what he calls "World War I technology"—and actually pay attention to the specific GPS coordinates where the danger is.
He hates sirens. Like, really hates them. He’s gone on record saying he’d like to "burn them down" because they give people a false sense of security inside their homes when they’re designed for people outdoors. On Twitter, he’s a broken record about this. And thank God for that.
Why His Feed Is Actually "Human"
The most refreshing part about James Spann on Twitter isn't the meteorology. It's the "Weather Snaps."
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Every single day, his feed is a flood of photos sent in by regular people. Sunsets over Gulf Shores. A weirdly shaped cloud in Cullman. A dog sitting in a puddle. He retweets hundreds of them.
It’s a bizarrely wholesome corner of the internet.
While the rest of Twitter is arguing about politics or the latest celebrity scandal, Spann is just there, meticulously sharing a photo of a backyard garden or a "shelf cloud" rolling over a high school football game. It creates this community feeling that’s hard to find elsewhere. You feel like you’re part of a giant, statewide porch conversation.
Dealing With the Trolls
Now, don’t get it twisted. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. People can be mean.
Because Spann has a massive platform, he gets the heat. He’s been very open about the "Age of Disinformation." He gets yelled at when a forecast is off by two inches of snow. He gets conspiracy theorists sent his way—people claiming the government is "nuking the moon" or steering hurricanes with chemtrails.
He doesn't usually ignore them. He dunks on them.
But he does it with this "bless your heart" energy that only a Southern meteorologist could pull off. He’ll post a screenshot of a hateful message and just say, "Some people are having a bad day. Let’s pray for them." It’s a masterclass in not letting the internet break your spirit.
The Science and the Skepticism
You can't talk about Spann without mentioning his stance on climate change. It’s the one area where he’s caught significant flak from the broader scientific community.
He’s a self-described "climate skeptic," often saying, "I do weather, not climate." He’s argued for years that the climate is always changing and questions the level of human impact. While this makes him a hero to some in the deep South, it puts him at odds with the consensus of organizations like the IPCC.
Interestingly, he’s kind of backed away from the loudest parts of that debate lately. Why? Because he knows that if he alienates half his audience by arguing about global warming, they might not listen to him when a tornado is 10 miles from their house. For Spann, the immediate "now" is always more important than the "long term."
How to Actually Use His Twitter Feed
If you’re following James Spann on Twitter to stay safe, you have to know how to filter the noise.
- Watch for the "Emergency" tone. When he starts tweeting in all caps or posting 2-minute video clips every few minutes, stop scrolling and find your helmet.
- Look for the "Map." He is a pro at showing exactly which streets are in the path of a debris ball. If you see a radar image with a "hook echo" and your town's name, that is your cue.
- The "Poly-Sub-Poly" thing. This is his way of saying he’s going to be on the air for a long time.
- Ignore the "Wishcasts." Spann is famous for hating "long-range" snow forecasts. If someone posts a map showing 10 inches of snow in Alabama two weeks from now, Spann will probably call it "garbage." Trust him on that.
A Legacy Beyond the Screen
At 69 years old, James Spann is still the hardest-working guy in Birmingham. He’s doing children's programs, hosting the WeatherBrains podcast, and running the Alabama Weather Network.
He doesn't use a teleprompter. He doesn't have a script.
He just stands in front of a green screen (or his Twitter dashboard) and talks. It’s authentic. In an era of AI-generated content and faceless news bots, Spann feels like a real person. He’s flawed, he’s opinionated, and he’s occasionally wrong about a "bust" snowfall, but he’s always there.
That’s why, when the sky turns that weird shade of green, everyone in Alabama looks for the man in the suspenders.
Actionable Tips for Weather Safety
To get the most out of James Spann's real-time updates and stay safe during severe weather, you should:
- Enable Notifications: Turn on "push notifications" for his account specifically during "enhanced" or "moderate" risk days.
- Have a Backup: Never rely solely on Twitter. Spann himself will tell you to own a NOAA Weather Radio.
- Know Your Place: Find out what "county segment" you live in. Don't just know your county; know your neighborhood.
- Ignore the Hype: If a "weather enthusiast" on Facebook is predicting a blizzard in 14 days, check Spann's feed. If he hasn't mentioned it, it’s not happening.