James L. Franklin is a weather forecaster with the National Hurricane Center and its current branch chief. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and of Ransom Everglades School in 1976 in Miami, where he was a co-valedictorian.
Franklin likes to add his wit to many of his forecasts, much like his counterpart Dr. 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." Later, as the storm deteriorated, Franklin started his forecast discussion with a line from the Bee Gees' song Stayin' Alive.
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."
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."
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..."
