image: American Meteorological Society logo
Credit: American Meteorological Society
The largest annual meeting focused on weather, water, and climate sciences, the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) will be held 25–29 January, 2026, in Houston, Texas. Thousands of professionals and students from around the world will gather at the George R. Brown Convention Center and online to share the latest advances, network, and discuss key issues in the field. The AMS is the professional society for everyone in the atmospheric and hydrologic sciences and services, including weather forecasters and modelers, climate scientists, emergency managers, broadcast meteorologists, and more.
“The weather, water, and climate enterprise is in the midst of concurrent revolutions in computing, modeling, and artificial intelligence,” says AMS President David J. Stensrud. “A key focus of this meeting is the human factor in this rapidly changing landscape. How do we ensure that scientific innovation translates to improved human decision making in areas like disaster readiness? How do we recognize, value, and support the people at the heart of our workforce throughout their careers? In addition to presenting advances across our sciences, from hydrology to aviation meteorology to applied climatology, the 2026 Annual Meeting will seek to address questions like these and offer opportunities for personal and professional growth.”
Presidential Conference
The Presidential Conference at AMS2026 highlights interdisciplinary presentations on urgent topics in weather, water, and climate related to the conference theme. The keynote event of the conference is the Presidential Forum, titled “Fast and Slow Thinking: The Human Factor in a Rapidly Changing World.” This panel session will spotlight how people make decisions, both in urgent moments and over the long term, and what that means for weather, water, and climate. The Presidential Forum will be moderated by Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist and vice president for engagement at Climate Central, and feature two panelists who are experts in decision-making: Cass R. Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard and director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School; and Hannah Perfecto, associate professor of marketing at Washington University in St. Louis. AMS President Stensrud will provide an introductory address. The Forum will take place Sunday, 25 January at 4 p.m. U.S. Central time, and will be streamed to the public on this page.
The 2026 Annual Meeting will also feature twelve interdisciplinary Presidential Sessions focused on this year’s theme of “the Human Factor,” including topics such as: the role of human interpretation and decision-making in AI forecasting, talking to faith communities about science, weather forecasting ethics, leadership, mental wellbeing, work-life integration, career reinvention, and an interactive session on ways to generate support for the scientific enterprise. You can view all the AMS 2026 Presidential Sessions here.
Weather, Water, and Climate Science
Three special named symposia at the Annual Meeting will highlight key Earth science topics and honor influential figures.
The Rafael L. Bras Symposium celebrates recent advances and explores future directions in hydrological science, including areas like hydrometeorology, hydroclimatology, ecohydrology, and geomorphology. It recognizes the 50-plus-year career of AMS Fellow Rafael Bras, who helped pioneer new approaches to fundamental issues in the field. The symposium takes place Wednesday, 28 January.
The Richard Stolarski Symposium spotlights research on ozone and climate, Earth system modeling, and the impacts of volcanic eruptions on the stratosphere. It celebrates renowned ozone scientist Richard Stolarski (1941–2024), known for his remarkable career at NASA and his contributions to national and international collaborative research. The symposium takes place Tuesday, 27 January.
The Roger M. Wakimoto Symposium highlights severe weather science on topics including tornadoes, downbursts, damage surveys, convection initiation, and mobile radar data analysis. It spotlights the seminal contributions of Roger Wakimoto, AMS Fellow, former AMS President (2018) and winner of multiple AMS awards. Dr. Wakimoto led multiple field campaigns and pioneered ground-breaking observational analyses of tornadoes, gust fronts, and other phenomena. The symposium takes place Monday, 26 January.
Core science keynotes highlight important technical topics in atmospheric and related sciences.
Nearly 50 scientific conferences and symposia will take place during the 106th Annual Meeting, presenting the latest weather, water, and climate research. Conference topics include Fire Weather, Weather Radar, Tropical Meteorology and Climate, Climate-Linked Economics, Major Weather Impacts of 2025, Aviation Meteorology, Environment and Health, Climate Change, Space Weather, AI for Environmental Science, Air Pollution, High Performance Computing, and Atmospheric Chemistry, among many others. This meeting will also feature the First Annual Disaster and Emergency Management Symposium, focused on advancing integrations between meteorology and emergency management in areas from lightning safety to hurricanes to summer camp preparedness. The sessions will also highlight lessons learned from recent disasters including the 2025 Texas floods.
Other Events
Town Halls at the Annual Meeting offer a chance for the whole weather, water, and climate community to discuss important issues together. 2026 Town Hall topics include AI ethics, AI forecasting and the infrastructure required to support it, NASA Earth Science, the U.S. Climate Collection initiative, urban weather resilience, and more. View all Town Halls here.
On Sunday, 25 January at 6:30 p.m. CT, the annual awards ceremony will honor weather, water, climate, professionals and students who have made impactful contributions to their fields.
The meeting will also feature many career and networking opportunities including short courses for professional development, a Career Resource and Graduate School Fair, a headshot studio, and networking and community-building events for underrepresented groups, students, and early-career professionals.
The 25th Annual AMS Student Conference takes place at the Brown Convention Center immediately prior to the 106th Annual Meeting, 24–25 January. It features poster sessions, professional development, and networking opportunities for AMS student members. The 14th Conference for Early Career Professionals takes place 25–26 January, overlapping with the Student Conference and the 106th Annual Meeting.
The 106th AMS Annual Meeting allows hybrid (in person plus virtual access) or virtual-only attendance options. All scientific sessions are accessible to attendees through the online program and mobile app. You can browse conferences and symposia, or view all sessions by day.
Registration is free for credentialed members of the press. Learn about press registration, guidelines, and media resources here.
About the AMS 106th Annual Meeting
The American Meteorological Society’s Annual Meeting is the world’s largest annual gathering in the weather, water, and climate spheres, bringing together thousands of scientists, other professionals, and students from across the United States and the world. Taking place 25–29 January, 2026, the AMS 106th Annual Meeting will highlight the latest scientific and professional advances in areas from AI and weather forecasting to floods and disasters, from aerospace meteorology to climate change and more. In addition, cross-cutting interdisciplinary sessions will explore the theme, “Fast and Slow Thinking: The Human Factor in a Rapidly Changing World.” The meeting takes place in Houston, Texas, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, with hybrid and fully virtual participation options. Free registration is available for certified members of the press. Learn more at annual.ametsoc.org.
About the American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society advances the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society. Founded in 1919, AMS has a membership of around 10,000+ professionals, students, and weather enthusiasts. AMS publishes 12 atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic science journals, in print and online; sponsors more than 12 conferences annually; and offers numerous programs and services. Visit us at https://www.ametsoc.org/.