Mississippi Climate
Top 5 Cities: Jackson, Gulfport, Southaven, Hattiesburg, and Biloxi
This month in numbers
Mississippi experienced its 2nd warmest March on record, with an average temperature of 18°C, a significant 5.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This included the warmest maximum temperature on record for March, reaching 25.17°C. The first three months of 2026 also ranked as the 4th warmest for maximum temperatures since records began 77 years ago. In stark contrast, precipitation for January–March 2026 was the 5th lowest on record, with a deficit of 53.1 mm compared to the baseline.
What changed
Mississippi's exceptionally warm and dry start to the year stands out against a national backdrop that also saw above-average temperatures. The state's 1-month temperature anomaly of +5.1°C placed it 22nd globally among the 234 regions tracked, with 8 of the top 10 warmest regions being US states, indicating a broader warming trend across the country. The ongoing drought conditions in Mississippi, with only about half the normal rainfall so far in 2026, have made it the 10th driest in the state's history for this period.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth and dryness in Mississippi are influenced by several factors. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a strong probability of transitioning to El Niño by early summer, which typically brings wetter conditions to the southern US. However, the region has been experiencing significant drought conditions, with two drought events active since August 2025 and continuing through April 2026, representing 100% of the annual total for Mississippi. This unusual concentration of drought events is impacting agriculture, with soil moisture levels a concern for planting. Additionally, Mississippi saw two wildfire events in April 2026, also representing 100% of the annual total, including one of the largest wildfires in the state's history in Carroll County in late March, which burned over 4,200 acres. Severe weather also impacted the state in March, with reports of damaging winds and tornadoes, and one fatality in Lawrence County on March 11. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Forecasters suggest that while the Mississippi River Basin has experienced a very dry start to the year, there is some careful hope that dry conditions may begin to turn around in the coming months, with El Niño conditions usually bringing wetter weather across the southern part of the country by early fall of 2026.
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.