stems.gohsep.la.gov
Jay Grymes will be the first State Climatologist under the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or GOHSEP. Governor Jeff Landry says though the position existed prior, it was always independent from state government, so implementing a state climatologist under GOHSEP was a priority for him since day one.
“The state’s climatologist will actually be a GOHSEP employee, ensuring that we have one concise voice when it comes to speaking about weather events in the state of Louisiana,” he explains.
Grymes comes into the role with over 30 years of experience, including serving as state climatologist from 1991 to 2003 and as chief meteorologist at WAFB from 2003 to 2024. Grymes says he’s looking forward to being state climatologist again, this time in a partnership between GOHSEP and LSU, where he currently teaches.
“So the advantage here for me — and, I believe, for the university — is [that this is] the first step of an expanded role with GOHSEP in terms of serving the citizens of Louisiana,” Grymes says.
GOHSEP Director Jacques Thibodeaux says his department welcomes Grymes’ help for determining what weather events are approaching and how to prepare for them, as well as having a single, official voice from the state government on climate and weather.
“Jay brings that capability to us that gives us a coastal viewpoint of how we view weather events, and he gives us a real accurate portrayal of what we’re facing,” says Thibodeaux.
Grymes will continue teaching at LSU while serving as state climatologist.
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