Connecticut Climate
Top 5 Cities: Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Hartford, and Waterbury
This month in numbers
March 2026 in Connecticut saw an average temperature of 4.39°C, an anomaly of +2.2°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking it as the 10th warmest March in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures also ranked high, coming in at 12th warmest with an anomaly of +2.5°C. Globally, March 2026 was the 2nd warmest March on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What changed
Looking at the broader picture, the January–March 2026 period for Connecticut had an average temperature of -1.31°C, an anomaly of +0.3°C, ranking it as the 44th warmest such period on record. Precipitation for this three-month period was notably drier, ranking 63rd with a deficit of 18.7 mm compared to the baseline. Connecticut currently sits at 227th out of 234 regions for its 3-month temperature anomaly, indicating a relatively cooler start to the year compared to many other areas.
What’s driving change?
The warmer March temperatures in Connecticut, despite a cooler overall start to the year, can be attributed to , where winters are warming faster at high latitudes. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.7°C. However, forecasts suggest a dominant shift towards El Niño conditions by May-July 2026, with probabilities reaching 79% by June-August. Connecticut has also experienced an unusual concentration of extreme weather events recently, with two drought events and two wildfire events occurring in the past 12 months, both representing 100% of the annual total for their respective categories. Additionally, one flood event was recorded in April 2026, also representing 100% of the annual total. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has noted that the state is in its typical spring wildfire season, which runs until early May, and that dry weather and windy conditions increase the likelihood of wildfires. Officials have also been preparing for potential flooding along the Connecticut River due to melting snow and unseasonably high temperatures in early March. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker and the ENSO outlook at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
Forecasters suggest a steady warming trend across southern New England in the coming days, which should lead to a gradual reduction in the state's snowpack.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Connecticut
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 Connecticut changing?
Connecticut 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 Connecticut come from?
Climate data for Connecticut 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 Connecticut climate data cover?
The Connecticut climate profile covers Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Hartford and surrounding areas. Connecticut climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Connecticut climate update refreshed?
The Connecticut 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.