|
Office History
On
October 28,1887 it was declared that
Louisiana
organize a state weather service
to give the
public actual weather conditions mainly in support of crops and
harvesting. The observation site was established at Dr. W. A. Knapp's
Drug Store, located at the corner of Ryan and Pujo Streets. The site
moved with the post office to their new headquarters on Ryan Street on
September 12, 1893. By July 1919, the observation site was moved to 323
Woodruff Street. It was then moved to the foot of North Ryan Street in
November 1930. Until 1937, the site recorded high temperature, low
temperature, and 24 hour precipitation. Thereafter, hourly observations
began at a new site, located at 1036 Kirkman Street.
The U.S.
Weather Bureau then established what is known as a first order weather
observation site and an office (part of the Department of Agriculture at
the time) at the Old Calcasieu Parish Airport, 3.3 miles east of the
previous location, on February 12, 1939. The observations included
temperature, dew point, wind direction, speed, and pressure information.
Over the
years, the name of this site changed from Calcasieu Parish Airport to
the Lake Charles Air Base on January 30, 1942. The name then changed to
Chennault Air Force Base during 1958.
On November
22, 1961, the office was moved southwest 7 1/2 miles to the Lake Charles
Regional Airport, where it has stayed until present day. The U.S.
Weather Bureau changed its name to the National Weather Service in 1969
and was placed within the newly formed Department of Commerce in 1970.
The office was located in the airport's control tower until 1971, then
moved to separate buildings on the airport property to the east in
September 1979 (now the Airport Administrator's Building).
In February
1996, the office was moved to our current location, 500 Airport Blvd,
just down the street from the airport terminal. |
www.nws.noaa.gov 
