Arkansas Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Little Rock, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale, and Jonesboro
This month in numbers
Arkansas experienced its 14th warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 25.83°C, an anomaly of +1.4°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Looking at the broader picture, the April–June 2026 period ranked as the 4th warmest on record for the state, with an average temperature of 21.92°C, a significant +1.7°C above the baseline. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, and the April–June period ranked as the 2nd warmest globally.
What changed
The past three months have seen Arkansas experiencing significantly warmer-than-average conditions, placing it among the top 5 warmest April-June periods in 77 years of records. This trend aligns with the broader national and global picture, as global land temperatures also ranked among the warmest for the same period. While precipitation in June was slightly above average, the state has been grappling with ongoing drought conditions.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Arkansas is influenced by a combination of factors. The current weak El Niño, which is forecast to strengthen into a very strong El Niño later in the year, typically brings cooler and wetter conditions to the Southeast USA during winter, but its summer influence can be more varied. However, the long-term trend of land warming faster than oceans is a significant underlying driver. The region has also experienced an unusual concentration of extreme weather events recently, with five wildfires, two drought events, and one flood event occurring in the last 12 months, all representing 100% of the annual total for each type of event. Notably, five wildfires were reported between June 28 and July 14, 2026, and two drought events have been active since August 2025. Additionally, a flood event was active from May 19 to July 13, 2026, with reports of flash flooding and damage in early June. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The strengthening El Niño is expected to persist through at least the end of 2026, with forecasts indicating a very strong El Niño is highly likely, which could influence temperature and precipitation patterns in the coming months.
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 – Arkansas
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Arkansas – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Arkansas
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfa · TemperateHow spring and autumn have shifted in Arkansas. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (15.6°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 23.2°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Mar (+2.2°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
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Arkansas
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 Arkansas changing?
Arkansas 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 Arkansas come from?
Climate data for Arkansas 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 Arkansas climate data cover?
The Arkansas climate profile covers Little Rock, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale and surrounding areas. Arkansas climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Arkansas climate update refreshed?
The Arkansas 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.