Mississippi Climate
Top 5 Cities: Jackson, Gulfport, Southaven, Hattiesburg, and Biloxi
This month in numbers
Mississippi experienced its warmest February–April on record, with an average temperature of 16.68°C, an anomaly of +3.8°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marked the warmest February–April for maximum temperatures, reaching 23.54°C, an anomaly of +4.1°C. April 2026 itself was the 3rd warmest April on record for both average and maximum temperatures, at 20.33°C and 27.11°C respectively. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, continuing a trend of elevated temperatures.
What changed
The past three months (February–April 2026) have been exceptionally warm for Mississippi, ranking as the warmest on record. This trend contrasts with the precipitation, which saw the February–April period ranked as the 73rd driest of 77 years on record, with a significant deficit of 55.7 mm. This dry and warm pattern is also reflected in the broader US context, where 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies were US states, indicating a striking regional concentration of warming. Mississippi's 3-month anomaly of +3.76°C places it 22nd out of 234 regions globally.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth and dryness in Mississippi are influenced by several factors. The region has been experiencing significant drought conditions since August 2025, intensifying over winter and early spring, with 93% of Mississippi currently in Moderate to Exceptional Drought (D1-D4) as of May 19, 2026. This contributes to higher temperatures as the ground cannot cool itself through evaporation. Additionally, the state has seen an unusual concentration of wildfires, with four events occurring between May 14 and May 21, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. This early spring brought historic wildfire activity to the region, with the "Smoke Show Fire" in April burning 4,896 acres, making it the second-largest wildfire in Mississippi history. There was also a flood event between May 19 and May 22, and eight tornadoes touched down on May 6, including an EF-3 tornado that was on the ground for nearly 70 miles, causing damage to hundreds of homes. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but the forecast indicates an 82% probability of El Niño developing by May–July, increasing to 96% by July–September. Historically, El Niño typically brings cooler and wetter conditions to the Southeast USA during winter, but its influence on the current warming trend is muted given the Neutral state. More information on extreme weather can be found at Extreme Weather tracker and ENSO at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The seasonal drought outlook for May 21–August 31, 2026, suggests that drought conditions are likely to persist in portions of eastern Mississippi, despite some forecasted rainfall.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Mississippi
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 Mississippi changing?
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 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 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.