Greenland Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat, Qaqortoq, and Aasiaat
Summary
July brought unusually mild polar conditions across Greenland, marking one of its warmest midsummer periods on record as Arctic heating continued unabated. This elevated warmth mirrored an extraordinarily hot northern hemisphere, which delivered the 3rd warmest July for global land areas. The persistent atmospheric warmth across high northern latitudes maintained elevated surface melt across the ice sheet, with above-average temperatures projected to persist into late summer.
This month in numbers
Greenland recorded an average temperature of -3.18°C in July 2026, sitting 1.8°C above its 1961-1990 baseline. That made it the 8th warmest July in 87 years of record-keeping, though remaining below the all-time high of -2.04°C set three years earlier in 2023. While negative temperatures remain standard for the interior, these high-elevation readings represent significant thermal stress across the vast ice sheet during its peak melting window.
What changed
The mild month capped a consistently warm three-month spell from May to July 2026, which averaged -7.56°C. At 1.5°C above baseline, this three-month period ranked as the 11th warmest May to July on record, trailing the benchmark -5.99°C set in 2019. Globally, the land surface reached 15.8°C during the month, ranking 3rd highest on record, while the three-month May to July global land average reached 14.34°C to rank 2nd highest. Long-term context reinforces this rapid warming, with 2025 standing as Greenland's 3rd warmest year on record at -16.58°C alongside an overall warming trend of +1.80°C.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures in Greenland are fundamentally driven by , which causes high polar latitudes to heat up far faster than the planetary average. As seasonal snow covers recede earlier in the summer, exposes darker ice and rock surfaces that absorb more solar radiation instead of reflecting it. Furthermore, persistent high-pressure blocks over the North Atlantic, linked to shifts in the North Atlantic Oscillation, have helped lock in unseasonably warm air across the Arctic basin.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate models indicate that above-average warmth is likely to persist across Greenland and the broader Arctic region through late summer and into autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Greenland
Köppen EF · PolarGreenland has a polar climate (Köppen EF: Ice cap), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging -3.6°C, while January is the coldest at -27.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 431mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Greenland
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Greenland
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Greenland
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Greenland
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Greenland
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen EF · PolarHow spring and autumn have shifted in Greenland. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (-19.3°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 22.7°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Apr (+4.0°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Greenland?
Greenland has a polar climate (Köppen EF: Ice cap), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging -3.6°C, while January is the coldest at -27.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 431mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Greenland climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Greenland climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.