Delaware Climate
Top 5 Cities: Wilmington, Dover, Newark, Middletown, and Smyrna
This month in numbers
Delaware experienced its 6th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 14.11°C, a significant 3°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures also ranked high, coming in as the 8th warmest April at 20.56°C, which is 3.3°C above average. Precipitation, however, was notably low, with April 2026 ranking as the 72nd driest April on record, receiving only 44.2 mm of rain, a deficit of 42.5 mm compared to the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures.
What changed
The period from February to April 2026 saw Delaware record its 73rd driest three-month period on record, with precipitation at a mere 51.82 mm, a substantial 34.9 mm below the average. This places the region in the bottom 5 for precipitation over this period. The average temperature for February to April was 7.96°C, ranking as the 20th warmest on record, 1.8°C above the baseline. This trend of warmer and drier conditions in Delaware contrasts with a broader national picture where the US experienced generally warmer temperatures in April, with a +1.9°C anomaly. Delaware's 1-month anomaly of +3.01°C places it 40th out of 234 regions globally, while the 3-month anomaly of +1.84°C ranks it 110th.
What’s driving change?
The persistently dry conditions are a significant factor, with April marking the 9th consecutive month of below-normal precipitation for Delaware. This has led to a severe drought across approximately 77.4% of the state as of mid-May, with the period from January to April 2026 being the fourth driest on record since 1895. The lack of rainfall has resulted in low soil moisture, reduced streamflows, and struggling groundwater levels, with some locations experiencing historically low levels. This contributes to warmer temperatures as the ground cannot cool itself through evaporation. The elevated fire risk due to these dry conditions has led to a burn ban in Delaware from May 1st through September 30th. There have been three wildfire events in Delaware in the past month, representing 100% of the annual total, an unusual concentration. Additionally, two drought events and one flood event have been logged in the past 12 months, each representing 100% of their respective annual totals, highlighting an unusual concentration of these events. More details can be found on our live tracker at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The ongoing drought conditions are expected to persist, with continued efforts needed for water conservation.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Delaware
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 Delaware changing?
Delaware 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 Delaware come from?
Climate data for Delaware 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 Delaware climate data cover?
The Delaware climate profile covers Wilmington, Dover, Newark, Middletown and surrounding areas. Delaware climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Delaware climate update refreshed?
The Delaware 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.