Missouri Climate
Top 5 Cities: Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia, and Independence
This month in numbers
Missouri experienced its 2nd warmest March on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 11.72°C, a significant 5.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures also ranked as the 2nd highest for March, at 19.5°C, an anomaly of +6.7°C. Looking at the broader picture, the January–March 2026 period was the 4th warmest on record for average temperature and the 2nd warmest for maximum temperature. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, continuing a trend of elevated warmth.
What changed
The past three months (January–March 2026) have been notably warmer than average in Missouri, with an anomaly of +3.5°C. This trend aligns with a broader pattern across the United States, as 10 of the top 10 warmest regions for the latest month's anomaly were US states, with Missouri ranking 17th nationally. Precipitation for the January–March period was below average, at 47.41 mm, a deficit of 14 mm. This contrasts with March's precipitation, which was slightly above average.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Missouri is influenced by , with winters warming faster than summers at higher latitudes. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly in the NOAA ONI 3-month (FMA 2026) index, though forecasts indicate a likely transition to El Niño in the coming months, with a 61% probability for May-Jul. Missouri has also experienced active extreme weather events. Two drought events were logged in the past 12 months, both occurring recently, representing an unusual concentration. These drought conditions have shown some improvement across much of Missouri due to moderate to heavy rainfall since March 1st, though extreme drought persists in some southern areas. Additionally, one flood event was recorded in April 2026, representing 100% of the annual total for floods. Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and tornadoes also impacted parts of Missouri in March and April 2026. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast suggests a likely transition to El Niño in the coming months, with a 79% chance for June–August, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Missouri.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Missouri
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 Missouri changing?
Missouri 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 Missouri come from?
Climate data for Missouri 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 Missouri climate data cover?
The Missouri climate profile covers Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia and surrounding areas. Missouri climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Missouri climate update refreshed?
The Missouri 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.