North America Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Countries: United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and Guatemala
Data for Continents is averaged from country snapshots. See Methodology.
This month in numbers
North America experienced a significantly warmer May, with temperatures averaging +1.35°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The three-month anomaly stands at +1.39°C, while the 12-month rolling anomaly reached +1.68°C. Globally, May 2026 was the second warmest on record.
Hottest & coolest countries
Jamaica recorded the highest anomaly this month at +1.68°C, followed closely by the United States Usa at +1.61°C and Canada at +1.32°C. On the cooler side, Nicaragua experienced the lowest anomaly at +0.30°C, making it the coolest country in the region for May.
What's driving change?
A weak El Niño, with an anomaly of +0.98°C, was present in May 2026 and is forecast to persist and strengthen throughout the rest of the year, with a 100% probability of El Niño conditions through November 2026. El Niño typically contributes to warmer global temperatures and can influence weather patterns across North America, often leading to a warmer-than-usual winter over the northern US and increased hurricane activity in the eastern and central Pacific basins. May also saw a continuation of widespread drought conditions across more than 30% of the continental United States, alongside severe weather events including tornadoes, damaging winds, and heavy rain in the Central Plains and Upper Midwest. These events highlight the impact of seasonal shifts and .
Looking ahead
El Niño is expected to intensify to a moderate or strong level this fall and continue into early 2027, with a 96% chance of persistence into early 2027.
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. Temperature anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Hottest & Coolest in North America this Month
1-month anomaly vs 1961–1990 across the 6 members we cover. Click a name to open its profile.
Warmest
- 1.🇯🇲Jamaica+1.68°C
- 2.🇺🇸United States+1.61°C
- 3.🇨🇦Canada+1.32°C
- 4.🇲🇽Mexico+1.25°C
- 5.🇨🇷Costa Rica+0.49°C
Coolest
- 1.🇳🇮Nicaragua+0.30°C
- 2.🇨🇷Costa Rica+0.49°C
- 3.🇲🇽Mexico+1.25°C
- 4.🇨🇦Canada+1.32°C
- 5.🇺🇸United States+1.61°C
Member Countries
These are the country snapshots aggregated into the North America series.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – North America
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of 6 country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS).
North America – Monthly Temperature – All Years
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of 6 country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS).
Records – North America
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of 6 country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS). - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Cfb · TemperateNorth America has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±6.4°C) and a wet/dry cycle (5× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Nov (+31 mm, +27%).
4byo continent aggregate · OWID/CRU TS country monthly temperatures & rainfall. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
Explore
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Data Sources
Data Sources for North America
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 North America changing?
North America 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.
Where does the climate data for North America come from?
Climate data for North America 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 North America climate data cover?
The North America climate profile covers United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba and surrounding areas. Aggregated from country snapshots - NOAA does not publish a NA continental series
How often is the North America climate update refreshed?
The North America 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.