Alabama Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile, and Tuscaloosa
This month in numbers
Alabama experienced a significantly wetter June, with precipitation ranking as the 9th highest on record at 180.59 mm, an increase of 71.4 mm compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Average temperatures for June 2026 were 25.44°C, an anomaly of +0.7°C, placing it as the 31st warmest June in 77 years of records. Globally, June 2026 saw the 3rd warmest land temperature on record, with an anomaly of +1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline.
What changed
Looking at the broader picture, the April–June 2026 period in Alabama recorded an average temperature of 22.07°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C, making it the 13th warmest such period on record. This trend aligns with the state's long-term warming, which shows an increase of +1.37°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. This past month, Alabama also saw a significant concentration of extreme weather events, with four wildfires and one flood event occurring, representing 100% of the annual total for each type of event. Catastrophic flash flooding inundated northern and central Alabama in June, particularly around the Birmingham metropolitan area, due to slow-moving thunderstorms.
What’s driving change?
The current climate patterns in Alabama are being influenced by a persistent weak El Niño, with a Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.98°C for April–June 2026. This El Niño is expected to continue and strengthen through the rest of the year. Historically, El Niño summers in Alabama tend to be hotter than normal. The increased precipitation observed in June, which ranked 9th highest on record, is also consistent with some El Niño influences, although the predictability of ENSO in summer for Alabama is generally low. The recent cluster of wildfires and floods also highlights the impact of seasonal shifts and the potential for more extreme weather events. You can track these events and the evolving ENSO situation at Extreme Weather tracker and ENSO.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a 100% probability of El Niño continuing through October–December 2026, suggesting a continued influence on Alabama's weather patterns in the coming months.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USA
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) or 1991–2020 (rainfall). See methodology.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Alabama
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Alabama – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Alabama
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfa · TemperateHow spring and autumn have shifted in Alabama. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (17.0°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 19.6°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.1°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Alabama
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 Alabama changing?
Alabama 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 Alabama come from?
Climate data for Alabama 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 Alabama climate data cover?
The Alabama climate profile covers Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile and surrounding areas. Alabama climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Alabama climate update refreshed?
The Alabama 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.
