James Franklin (meteorologist)

James Franklin (middle), with Scott Gudes (left) and retired Air Force General Jack Kelly, director of NWS.

James L. Franklin is a former weather forecaster who served with the National Hurricane Center as its branch chief.^[1] He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology^[2] and of Ransom Everglades School^[3] in 1976 in Miami, where he was a co-valedictorian.

Franklin liked to add his wit to many of his forecasts, much like his counterpart Lixion Avila and in contrast with the often dry commentary of other forecasters. For example:

• In forecasting 2002 Atlantic hurricane season's Hurricane Kyle, Franklin noted "for fun, [a] long-range run of the GFS [model] has Kyle — its decayed remnants actually — reaching south Florida just in time for the kickoff of the Miami/Florida State game, one week from tomorrow."^[4] Later, as the storm deteriorated, Franklin started his forecast discussion with a line from the Bee Gees' song Stayin' Alive.^[5]
• When forecasting Tropical Storm Franklin in 2005, Franklin said "Franklin — the storm, not the forecaster — has become a little better organized overnight. [...] It is quite possible that little or nothing will be left of Franklin — the storm, not the forecaster — in 2–3 days." ^[6]
• In the Tropical Cyclone Report for Hurricane Vince in 2005, Franklin alluded to My Fair Lady when he quipped "The rain in Spain was mainly less than 2 inches, although 3.30 inches fell in the plain at Cordoba."^[7]
• In a discussion for Tropical Depression Ana in 2009, Franklin noted that "[t]he intensity forecast is complicated by the uncertain existence of an actual tropical cyclone..."^[8]

References