Arizona Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, and Scottsdale
This month in numbers
Arizona experienced its 7th warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 26.28°C, a significant 2.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The period from April to June 2026 also ranked as the 6th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 20.8°C, 2.2°C higher than the baseline. Globally, land temperatures in June 2026 were the 3rd warmest on record, at 16.46°C, and the April–June period was the 2nd warmest on record, at 15.74°C.
What changed
Arizona's consistently warm temperatures this spring and early summer stand in contrast to the national picture, where the US as a whole experienced a more moderate +1.6°C anomaly in June. The state's 12-month rolling average temperature anomaly of +2.97°C ranks it as the 7th warmest region globally, highlighting a significant long-term warming trend.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Arizona is largely influenced by the ongoing weak El Niño, which is forecast to continue through the end of the year. El Niño conditions typically bring warmer and drier conditions to Arizona during the summer months, increasing the risk of heatwaves and wildfires. Indeed, Arizona has seen an unusual concentration of wildfire activity recently, with four wildfire events occurring between late June and mid-July, representing 100% of the annual total logged for the state in the past 12 months. Additionally, one flood event was recorded in May and July, also representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. These events underscore the vulnerability of the region to extreme weather, which is further exacerbated by the effect, where arid soils cannot cool themselves through evaporation, leading to faster warming. More information on extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker and on the ENSO state at ENSO.
Looking ahead
While the beginning of the monsoon season may remain dry, forecasts suggest a wetter-than-normal monsoon season for Arizona, particularly later in August and September, with a potential for increased precipitation towards the tail end of the summer.
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 – Arizona
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Arizona – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Arizona
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BSk · AridArizona has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±11.0°C) and a wet/dry cycle (7× 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: Aug (-7 mm, -13%).
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 Arizona
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 Arizona changing?
Arizona 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 Arizona come from?
Climate data for Arizona 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 Arizona climate data cover?
The Arizona climate profile covers Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler and surrounding areas. Arizona climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Arizona climate update refreshed?
The Arizona 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.