12:30-2:00 PM Lunch and Centennial Keynote Address (Brumfield Caffey Ballroom)

Lunch

Vegan and gluten-free meals for those who requested them will be available for pickup in the cafeteria adjacent to Caffey Annex.  From the registration area, please go up the stairs or ramp and through the double doors into the cafeteria.

Centennial Keynote Address

A Century of Louisiana Weather & Climate

Louisiana is the wettest state in the Lower 48, with annual rainfall averaging more than any other state in the conterminous United States.  Louisiana is also a relatively warm state by U.S. standards, marked by hot and sultry summers and mostly tolerable winters.  The state's climate is a key reason why it is called "Sportsman's Paradise."  Yet average seasonal or annual conditions rarely tell the entire climate story.  Trends and variability in rainfall and temperature over the past century have been considerable and may be more important for the Bayou State than the norms.  Temporal variability applies to tropical weather as well, a critical nemesis of Louisiana residents.  And all of Louisiana's weather and climate factors are likely to be influenced by anticipated changes linked to future climate change.  This discussion will present the state's history of some key climate factors and include commentary about potential impacts in the future. 

Jay Grymes is the Louisiana State Climatologist, serving in a dual appointment between the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and Louisiana State University (LSU).  He was named the State Climatologist for a second time in 2024.  More notably for many Louisiana residents, Jay was the Chief Meteorologist at WAFB-TV (CBS affiliate in Baton Rouge) from May 2003 through July 2024, part of a 28-year career with that station.  Prior to his TV career, Jay held a number of administrative and academic positions with LSU from 1986 through 2003, including a prior 12-year run as the State Climatologist.  Jay has served as a consultant for several local and state agencies, including the Governor’s Unified Command Group (with three administrations), parish emergency-management offices, and several southeast Louisiana school districts.  He is one of three co-authors for the book, “Louisiana Weather and Climate (2012).”