Maryland Climate
Top 5 Cities: Baltimore, Columbia, Germantown, Silver Spring, and Waldorf
This month in numbers
Maryland experienced its 2nd warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 14.72°C, a significant 3.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures also ranked as the 2nd highest for April, reaching 21.39°C, which is 4°C above average. This warmth was coupled with exceptionally dry conditions, as April precipitation totalled only 44.96 mm, ranking as the 73rd driest April in 77 years of records, a deficit of 40.8 mm compared to the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures.
What changed
The trend of warmth and dryness extends to the February–April 2026 period, which ranked as the 10th warmest on record for average temperature and 9th warmest for maximum temperature. Precipitation for this three-month period was also notably low, ranking as the 73rd driest on record with a deficit of 29.6 mm. This regional pattern of warmth and dryness contrasts with the broader national picture for April, where the US experienced a generally warm month but with a smaller anomaly of +1.9°C. Maryland's 1-month temperature anomaly places it as the 19th warmest out of 234 regions globally.
What’s driving change?
Maryland's persistent warmth and dryness are influenced by several factors. The region has experienced three consecutive years of dry weather and recent lower-than-average rainfall, leading to a significant rainfall deficit over the past several months. This has resulted in widespread drought conditions across the state, with approximately 79% of Maryland under active drought as of May 19, 2026, and 75.3% experiencing severe drought. This contributes to higher temperatures as the ground cannot cool itself through evaporation. The warm, dry winter pattern and exceptionally warm 12-month period for the region have also exacerbated wildfire risks. Maryland has seen an unusual concentration of wildfire events recently, with four wildfires occurring between May 14 and May 21, 2026, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. For more details on extreme weather events, visit Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
NOAA's National Weather Service predicts that El Niño is likely to emerge by July 2026 and continue through the winter, which could lead to more high tide flooding events for many coastal communities, including those in Maryland.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Maryland
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 Maryland changing?
Maryland 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 Maryland come from?
Climate data for Maryland 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 Maryland climate data cover?
The Maryland climate profile covers Baltimore, Columbia, Germantown, Silver Spring and surrounding areas. Maryland climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Maryland climate update refreshed?
The Maryland 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.