California Climate
Top 5 Cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, and San Jose
This month in numbers
California experienced its warmest February–April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 13.28°C, an anomaly of +3.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This marks the 1st warmest such period in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures for the same three-month period also ranked exceptionally high, coming in as the 2nd warmest on record at 20.15°C, an anomaly of +4.1°C. April 2026 itself saw an average temperature of 13.39°C, which was +1.3°C above average, ranking as the 26th warmest April. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with the February–April period also ranking as the 2nd warmest globally.
What changed
This exceptionally warm three-month period for California stands in contrast to the national picture, though the entire US has seen above-average temperatures. California's 3-month anomaly of +3.55°C places it 29th out of 234 regions in cross-region rankings, within a striking pattern where 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies were US states. The state has also seen a concerning shift in drought conditions, with 60% of California classified as abnormally dry over the past three months, and 6% now experiencing moderate drought. This comes after a winter with below-average snowpack, particularly in the northern Sierra Nevada, which is crucial for the state's water supply.
What’s driving change?
The significant warming trend in California, particularly during the February–April period, is influenced by several factors. The state has experienced a series of "winter whiplash" events, with rapid shifts from heavy rain to extreme heat, which has accelerated snowmelt. This rapid snowmelt, combined with warmer-than-normal temperatures in March and April, has contributed to the worsening drought conditions and low snowpack levels. While the current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of El Niño developing in the coming months, with an 82% chance for May–July and increasing to 98% by August–October. Historically, El Niño typically brings wetter conditions to the Southwest USA during winter, which could impact future precipitation patterns for California. ENSO tracker
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC's seasonal drought outlook suggests that drought development in California is most likely to occur subsequent to May, with poor snow conditions across the Sierras remaining a concern for water availability through the summer dry season.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for California
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in California changing?
California is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for California come from?
Climate data for California comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the California climate data cover?
The California climate profile covers Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and surrounding areas. Solar leader, drought cycles and wildfire seasons
How often is the California climate update refreshed?
The California climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.