Arizona Climate
Top 5 Cities: Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, and Scottsdale
This month in numbers
Arizona experienced its warmest March on record, with an average temperature of 17.44°C, an anomaly of +7.8°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marked the 1st warmest March in 77 years of records for maximum temperatures, reaching 26.61°C, an anomaly of +9.4°C. The period of January to March 2026 was also the warmest on record, with an average temperature of 12.11°C, an anomaly of +4.9°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The exceptionally warm March contributed to Arizona experiencing its hottest and 28th driest January to March on record. This region's 1-month temperature anomaly of +7.80°C made it the warmest among 234 regions globally, with all top 10 warmest regions being US states. Similarly, for the 3-month anomaly, Arizona ranked 5th warmest globally, with 9 of the top 10 also being US states. This extreme heat arrived months ahead of schedule, with many areas recording temperatures in March that are typically seen in May.
What’s driving change?
The record-breaking heat in Arizona is largely attributed to , where already arid conditions are exacerbated by a lack of moisture, leading to faster warming. An unusually early and prolonged heat dome also contributed to the extreme temperatures experienced across the Southwest in March. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.9°C. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-Jul and a 79% chance for June-Aug. ENSO tracker. Arizona is currently experiencing two drought events, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, an unusual concentration. There was also one flood event in April, representing 100% of the annual total. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The seasonal outlook suggests a continuation of drier than normal conditions through the remainder of spring, with an increased chance of above-normal precipitation once the monsoon season begins.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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 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 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.