Top 5 Cities: Jackson, Gulfport, Southaven, Hattiesburg, and Biloxi
Mississippi climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
A fresh climate update for Mississippi is being generated…
The new monthly summary is being written by Gemini in the background. This usually takes 5–10 seconds. The live climate data below is already up to date.
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature anomalies.
Metric
Insight
Temperature
10-Yr AverageActual Year
Climate History
33 of 33 events
1912Volcanic
Novarupta (Katmai) eruption
The largest volcanic eruption anywhere in the world in the 20th century - 13 km3 of magma, about thirty times the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption - at Novarupta in Alaska on 6-8 June 1912. Ash reached 100,000 ft and cooled the Northern Hemisphere by roughly 0.3°C over 1912-13. Unlike a tropical eruption such as Pinatubo, a high-latitude eruption's haze stays in its own hemisphere, so it did little to the Southern Hemisphere.
A levee break near Greenville flooded a million acres in 10 days; the Yazoo Delta was hardest-hit (~1,000 estimated deaths, 41,673 homes flooded statewide) of the era's greatest US flood disaster.
After the Second World War, coal and oil use grew rapidly across Europe, North America and the Soviet Union. Global sulphur dioxide emissions rose from about 30 to about 130 million tonnes a year by 1980, and the sulphate haze they formed masked part of the greenhouse warming underneath - the effect known as 'global dimming'.
Mississippi's worst year of the 1950s drought was 1954 for rainfall, its driest in this site's 1950-2025 record (1002 mm, 32% below its 1961-90 average) - and 1953 for heat, with 31.6 heatwave days, more than any year on record here.
Camille made landfall near Bay St. Louis on the night of 17 August 1969 as a Category 5, one of only four ever to strike the continental United States. Re-analysis puts peak winds near 175 mph - the actual maximum is unknown because the storm destroyed every wind instrument in the landfall zone. The 24.6 ft surge at Pass Christian was the largest ever measured in the US, and stood until Katrina reached 27.8 ft at that same town in 2005. 143 died on the Gulf coast.
The 1970 Clean Air Act set strict national standards for sulphur dioxide and particulates, and American skies got measurably cleaner over the decades that followed. There is a climate sting in that success: sulphate aerosols reflect sunlight, so removing them removed a cooling effect that had been partly masking greenhouse warming. Measured here, Mississippi averaged +0.89°C warmer across 2006-2025 than across the two decades before the Act, 1951-1970, against a median of +1.09°C across the 49 states whose records reach back that far. Every one of them warmed. The range runs from +0.66°C in Oklahoma to +1.67°C in Alaska, so the question a state's own chart answers is not whether it warmed, but by how much.
1973 was Mississippi's 5th-wettest year on record here - 1827 mm, +25% against its 1961-90 average. Vicksburg recorded 88 consecutive days of floodflow, the longest on the river's record.
1976 is Mississippi's coldest year in this site's 1950-2025 record, and 1979 its 3rd-coldest - the two ends of three severe winters in a row. January 1977 was probably the coldest month the eastern United States had seen in two centuries, Atlanta's coldest month ever measured, and 1978-79 was the coldest winter on record nationally.
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is a North Pacific pattern, and its influence on this side of the country is weak and indirect - mostly through how it nudges the winter jet stream downstream. Its 1976-77 flip marks a genuine shift in Pacific-basin climate, but for eastern states the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation is the ocean cycle that matters more.
Global sulphur dioxide emissions peak at about 130 million tonnes a year, then begin a long decline as Europe, North America and Japan clean up their air. As the aerosol mask thins, the rate of global warming picks up through the 1980s.
1980 gave Mississippi 18.4 heatwave days, its 10th-highest of the 1950-2025 record. Mississippi was among the states with the highest heat death tolls, though its annual rainfall that year was unremarkable. It is worth noting 1980 ranks only 56th-warmest here by annual mean: a fierce three-month summer barely moves a twelve-month average, which is why a heatwave-days count finds this year and an annual temperature record does not.
A sulphur-rich eruption in Mexico whose aerosol cloud stayed in the stratosphere for more than two years, cooling the Northern Hemisphere by about 0.2°C.
El Niño has only a weak pull on Mississippi's winter rainfall - it is not one of the seven states where ENSO reliably moves it. In 1982-83 Mississippi's winter rainfall ran +69% against the 1961-90 average, with temperatures +1.2°C. On NOAA's RONI index, which strips out background ocean warming, this is the strongest El Niño since 1950.
Daytime warming catches up with the night-led pattern
Across 1961-90, 81% of the world's land saw nights warming faster than days. Across 1991-2020 the pattern reversed: 70% saw days warming faster, as the industrial haze that had been dimming daytime sunshine was cleaned up. The study compares two fixed thirty-year windows; measured as a turning point, this site's own global series turns around 1982.
1990 is Mississippi's 11th-warmest year in this site's 1950-2025 record. Mild winters did most of it: January-February 1990 was the warmest start to a year the contiguous US had recorded, a record that stood until 1998.
Pinatubo's cooling is only faintly visible in Mississippi's own record. 1993, two years after the June 1991 eruption, ranks 16th-coldest of the 76 years there, though 2014 has since been colder. A single large eruption can hold temperatures down for two or three years; it cannot reverse the trend.
Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation flips to a warm phase
The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation flipped to a warm phase in 1995, and for the Gulf coast that has meant a more active hurricane season: the warm phase since includes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Harvey in 2017 and Ida in 2021. It is a natural cycle of roughly 60-70 years, so it shifts the baseline rather than driving the long-term trend.
In 1997-98 Mississippi's winter rainfall ran +26% against the 1961-90 average, with temperatures +1.4°C - though ENSO's pull on rainfall here is weak. It is often treated as the textbook strong El Niño.
Pacific Decadal Oscillation flips back to a cool phase
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation returned to a cool phase around 1998-99. Its direct effects are western - drier conditions across the south-west, changes in North Pacific fisheries - and its influence on this side of the country is weak and indirect. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, which flipped warm in 1995, is the ocean cycle with more bearing on eastern weather.
Mississippi took Katrina's worst surge. Pass Christian recorded 27.8 ft above mean sea level - the highest storm surge ever documented in the United States - and the coast from Waveland through Gulfport and Biloxi was effectively erased at ground level. 172 direct deaths. Surge, not wind, did nearly all of it, which is why sea-level rise matters so much to this stretch of coast.
2007 was Mississippi's 4th-driest year on record here - 27% below its 1961-90 average - and 2006 its 3rd-lowest for relative humidity. The two go together: parched ground and dried-out vegetation stop returning moisture to the air, so the humidity that normally hangs over the south-east simply was not there.
Start of the sustained rise in US heatwave frequency
Mississippi's own Heatwave Days (WSDI) count rose from a 1961-90 average of 6.7 days a year to 16.1 in 2016-25 - more than doubling, close to the 2.4x averaged across the 50 states.
2012 was Mississippi's 7th-warmest year and its 9th-highest for heatwave days - a hot summer by any measure - but it was not a dry one, finishing 47th-driest of 76 years, in the wetter half of the record. The drought that made 2012 notorious nationally had its worst conditions over the Plains and Corn Belt and largely passed Mississippi by; the heat did not.
8 of Mississippi's ten warmest years on record have occurred since 2013, and 9 of the ten since 2000, with 2023 the warmest of all - a local acceleration closely tracking the national one.
2014 is Mississippi's 10th-coldest year in this site's 1950-2025 record. In early January 2014 the polar vortex slipped south and Arctic air spread across most of the country, and the cold returned in waves into March.
In 2015-16 Mississippi's winter rainfall was close to its 1961-90 average (+0%), with temperatures +2.9°C - though ENSO's pull on rainfall here is weak. By the raw ONI index it was the strongest El Niño ever measured - a reminder that a strong index does not guarantee a strong local outcome.
Globally, the eleven warmest years on record have all happened since 2015. Mississippi follows closely: eight of its own eleven warmest fall in that span, with 2012, 1998 and 1954 outside. Mississippi's warmest year is 2023.
Mississippi's nights have warmed far faster than its days. Against the 1950-2014 average, the 2015-2025 period runs +1.44°C on overnight minimum temperature but only +0.89°C on daytime maximum - nights warming roughly 1.6 times as fast. The gap between day and night has closed by 0.55°C, the 6th-largest narrowing of any US state.
2019 gave Mississippi its 2nd-highest heatwave-day count of the 1950-2025 record (31.2). September 2019 was Mississippi's driest September in records back to 1895. The year as a whole was not dry at all here - 67th-driest of 76, so in the wetter half of the record. A month of heat did the damage, and the annual total never shows it.
New international shipping rules cut the sulphur allowed in ship fuel from 3.5% to 0.5% almost overnight, removing about 8 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide a year. With less sulphate haze over the oceans, it may have added around 0.1°C of warming by 2023-24.
A strong El Niño arriving on top of long-term greenhouse warming, with the cut in shipping sulphur from the 2020 fuel rule adding a little more. Together they produced the record global temperatures of 2023 and 2024.
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Mississippi has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfa: Humid subtropical), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 27.8°C, while January is the coldest at 7.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1521mm (about 86mm of it as snow), spread fairly evenly across the year.
Warmest month
Jul 28°C
Coldest month
Jan 8°C
Annual rainfall
1435mm
Wettest month
Apr 166mm
Annual snowfall
86mmwater-equiv.
Snowiest month
Jan 18mm
RainSnow (water-equivalent)
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
How spring and autumn have shifted in Mississippi. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (17.3°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 20.3°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Shifting summer
12 days Longer
Warm Season
1950–1979 Baseline: 13 Apr → 18 Oct · 188 days
2016–2025 Now: 10 Apr → 26 Oct · 199 days
−3d+8d
JanJFebFMarMAprAMayMJunJJulJAugASepSOctONovNDecD
Spr 3 days EarlierAut 8 days Later
baseline avgrecent avgClickTap a marker for each decade
1950–19792016–20251950–1979 annual mean
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+2.8°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
The natural climate patterns that measurably shape seasonal temperature or rainfall in Mississippi, from this site’s own data since 1950 - long-term trends removed, and ENSO’s share taken out before scoring the others, so each is credited only for what it adds.
North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)moderate link
Steers the North Atlantic storm track - Europe's winters especially.
Now: positive · +0.35(30-day mean to 2026-10-16)
Strongest in Dec-Feb temperature: a positive NAO tends to bring warmer conditions here, a negative NAO the reverse (about 28% of year-to-year variation). Also Jun-Aug temperature (positive NAO: cooler).
How readily Arctic air spills south - tied to the polar vortex.
Now: positive · +1.06(30-day mean to 2026-10-16)
Strongest in Dec-Feb temperature: a positive AO tends to bring warmer conditions here, a negative AO the reverse (about 26% of year-to-year variation).
Strongest in Mar-May temperature: a positive PNA tends to bring cooler conditions here, a negative PNA the reverse (about 25% of year-to-year variation).
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.
Mississippi 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.
What is the climate like in Mississippi?
Mississippi has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfa: Humid subtropical), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 27.8°C, while January is the coldest at 7.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1521mm (about 86mm of it as snow), spread fairly evenly across the year.
Which climate drivers affect the weather in Mississippi?
Measured from seasonal temperature and rainfall in Mississippi since 1950, with the long-term warming trend removed (and ENSO's own share removed before scoring the other drivers), the climate drivers with a clear effect here are: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) - moderate, strongest in Dec-Feb temperature, which a positive NAO tends to make warmer here (a negative NAO the reverse), about 28% of year-to-year variation; the Arctic Oscillation (AO) - moderate, strongest in Dec-Feb temperature, which a positive AO tends to make warmer here (a negative AO the reverse), about 26% of year-to-year variation; the Pacific-North American pattern (PNA) - moderate, strongest in Mar-May temperature, which a positive PNA tends to make cooler here (a negative PNA the reverse), about 25% of year-to-year variation. Their current state is shown in the Climate Drivers section of this page.
What extreme weather affects Mississippi?
NOAA's Storm Events Database recorded 17 damaging weather events in Mississippi in 2025 - storms, floods, heat, drought and wildfires that killed or injured anyone or did $1M or more of damage - against an average of 18 a year in 2016-2025, with 15 deaths. The deadliest since 1996 was Hurricane Katrina (28 August 2005), which killed 166. GDACS, the UN and European Commission's disaster alert system, issued 0 Major (Red) and 0 Severe (Orange) alerts for Mississippi in the last 12 months. Live alerts are on this page and on the Extreme Weather tracker.
Where does the climate data for Mississippi come from?
Climate data for Mississippi 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 Mississippi climate data cover?
The Mississippi climate profile covers Jackson, Gulfport, Southaven, Hattiesburg and surrounding areas. Mississippi climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Mississippi climate update refreshed?
The Mississippi 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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Mississippi climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Mississippi climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.
What major climate events has Mississippi experienced?
Major climate events in Mississippi include The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927; Hurricane Camille (1969); The cold winters of 1976-79; 1990-91: mild winters and warm years; The 2006-08 Southeast drought; The 2012 drought and heat; The polar-vortex winter of 2013-14 (2014); The 2019 Southeast flash drought. The Climate History panel on this page lists 33 sourced events and pattern shifts relevant to Mississippi, the earliest from 1912 - 15 about Mississippi itself and the rest global context such as volcanic eruptions and El Niño events. Each entry carries its own sources and can be searched, filtered to local events or by category, and sorted by date; scrolling the list moves a cursor across the chart above so you can see where each event falls in the record.
Where does the Climate History list for Mississippi come from, and how is it checked?
It is a hand-reviewed register, not an automatic feed. Every entry is sourced, and each one records how it was verified - against this site's own data series, against a peer-reviewed paper, or against the public record of the event. 23 of the 33 entries here are written specifically about Mississippi, usually quoting its own ranking or measured figures. The rest give global or national context shared with wider pages. Where a figure is narrower than it first appears, or a famous claim does not hold locally, the entry says so.
Are nights warming faster than days in Mississippi?
The Long-Term Trends chart has a Day/Night toggle showing Day Highs and Night Lows anchored around the average trend, so they always bracket it rather than both drifting to one side. Across most of the world, nights warmed faster than days from the 1960s to the late 1980s (air pollution dimming daytime sun), and days have generally been catching back up since, as skies cleared. Toggle Day/Night on the chart above to see which pattern Mississippi follows.
We use cookies for ads, social features and analytics, and share how you use the site with our advertising, social media and analytics partners. Privacy Policy
