Alabama Climate
Top 5 Cities: Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile, and Tuscaloosa
This month in numbers
March 2026 was exceptionally warm for Alabama, with the average temperature of 16.89°C ranking as the 3rd warmest March in 77 years of records, an anomaly of +4.2°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures were even more striking, reaching 24.28°C, which was the 2nd highest on record for March, a significant +4.7°C above average. Precipitation, however, was notably low at 83.57 mm, ranking as the 70th driest March on record. Globally, April 2026 also ranked as the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures since records began.
What changed
The trend of warmer and drier conditions extends beyond March. The January–March 2026 period saw an average temperature of 11.58°C, ranking as the 8th warmest such period in 77 years. Maximum temperatures for this three-month span were the 7th highest on record. Meanwhile, precipitation for January–March was the 72nd driest on record, with 96.01 mm, a deficit of 48.4 mm compared to the baseline. Alabama's 1-month anomaly of +4.18°C places it as the 31st warmest out of 234 regions globally, and the second warmest in the Southeast US climate region for March. The entire Southeast US group also experienced a significantly warmer than average March, with a group mean anomaly of +3.77°C.
What’s driving change?
The current climate patterns in Alabama are influenced by a combination of factors. The region is experiencing ongoing drought conditions, with two drought events active since August 2025, representing 100% of the annual total for Alabama, an unusual concentration for the state. This persistent dryness is contributing to the observed higher temperatures through , where the lack of moisture in the soil reduces evaporative cooling. Additionally, a flood event was recorded in April 2026, also representing 100% of the annual total for Alabama. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C in the Niño 3.4 region for February-April 2026.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a 61% probability of an El Niño developing by May-July 2026, increasing to 79% for June-August 2026 and 87% for July-September 2026, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Alabama during the cooler months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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 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 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.