Greenland Climate
Top 5 Cities: Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat, Qaqortoq, and Aasiaat
This month in numbers
Greenland experienced an April temperature anomaly of +2.5°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking it the 16th warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The February–April 2026 period saw Greenland record its 6th warmest temperature in 86 years, with an anomaly of +2.8°C. This warming trend in Greenland contrasts with some other regions; for instance, the latest month saw a striking concentration of warmth in Central Asian countries and several US states, with Uzbekistan leading at +5.56°C. Greenland itself ranked 68th globally for its 1-month anomaly and 53rd for its 3-month anomaly among 234 regions. The Arctic as a whole is warming significantly faster than the global average, a phenomenon known as .
What’s driving change?
The accelerated warming in Greenland is largely driven by , where high northern latitudes warm at a rate three to four times faster than the global average. This is further exacerbated by , as melting ice exposes darker surfaces that absorb more solar radiation, leading to further melting. Recent studies have highlighted the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme melting events across the Greenland ice sheet, with the area affected expanding by about 2.8 million km² per decade since 1990. These events are influenced by various atmospheric patterns, including shifts in the jet stream. The melting ice sheet is also contributing significant amounts of freshwater to the North Atlantic, which is thought to be contributing to a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
Looking ahead
Projections under high greenhouse gas emission scenarios suggest that by the end of the century, extreme meltwater anomalies in Northern Greenland could increase up to threefold.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Greenland
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 Greenland changing?
Greenland 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 Greenland come from?
Climate data for Greenland comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), 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 Greenland climate data cover?
The Greenland climate profile covers Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat, Qaqortoq and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Greenland
How often is the Greenland climate update refreshed?
The Greenland 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.