US Northeast Climate – August 2026 Update
Top States: New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maryland
Summary
The US Northeast experienced temperatures well above historical averages during August 2026, driven by persistent warm air masses across the Atlantic seaboard. Headline regional anomalies reached +1.26°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, capping off a consistently warm summer. The pattern unfolds alongside a moderate El Niño in the tropical Pacific, which carries a 77% probability of reaching Very Strong intensity between August and October. Mild, elevated warmth is expected to persist across the region as autumn approaches.
This month in numbers
The 1-month temperature anomaly for US Northeast stood at +1.26°C above the 1961–1990 average in August 2026. Looking at broader timescales, the 3-month anomaly reached +1.19°C, while the 12-month rolling anomaly sat at +0.87°C, reflecting persistent background warming across the region. Across global cross-region rankings, US states dominate the long-term charts, accounting for 6 of the top 10 warmest territories globally over the past 12 months.
Hottest & coolest US states
Delaware (US Delaware) led the regional warmth with an anomaly of +2.11°C above average, followed closely by Maine (US Maine) at +1.97°C and New Hampshire (US New Hampshire) at +1.75°C. At the cooler end of the spectrum, Pennsylvania (US Pennsylvania) recorded the mildest departure from baseline, running +0.71°C above average, while New York (US New York) saw an anomaly of +0.85°C.
What's driving change?
The broader climate system is being influenced by tropical Pacific dynamics, tracked on our live page at ENSO. The official Relative Niño Index shows a moderate El Niño with an anomaly of +1.36°C, which is forecast to intensify into late autumn. Regionally, , creating sharper heat gradients between coastal waters and inland areas. In addition, long-term seasonal shifts continue to raise late-summer baselines across northern states. All of US Northeast's 1 flood this year happened in the past month, as heavy convective rainfall interacted with humid air masses, an event monitored on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Official long-range outlooks indicate a higher likelihood of above-normal temperatures continuing across the northeastern United States over the next 1–3 months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Long-Term Trends
Climate Insights – US Northeast
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature anomalies.
NOAA Climate at a Glance - regional tavg / pcp / tmax / tmin
Heatwave Days – US Northeast
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived), aggregated by 4BYO across member states. Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Climate Map – USUnited States
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.
Hottest & Coolest in US Northeast this Month
1-month anomaly vs 1961–1990 across the 11 members we cover. Click a name to open its profile.
Warmest
- 1.🇺🇸Delaware+2.11°C
- 2.🇺🇸Maine+1.97°C
- 3.🇺🇸New Hampshire+1.75°C
- 4.🇺🇸Rhode Island+1.70°C
- 5.🇺🇸Maryland+1.69°C
Coolest
- 1.🇺🇸Pennsylvania+0.71°C
- 2.🇺🇸New York+0.85°C
- 3.🇺🇸Vermont+1.37°C
- 4.🇺🇸Connecticut+1.40°C
- 5.🇺🇸New Jersey+1.47°C
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – US Northeast
NOAA Climate at a Glance — regional tavg / pcp (monthly absolutes).
Monthly Temperature – US Northeast
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
NOAA Climate at a Glance — regional tavg / pcp (monthly absolutes).
Records – US Northeast
NOAA Climate at a Glance - regional tavg / pcp - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsHow spring and autumn have shifted in US Northeast. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (7.5°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 26.4°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.0°C).
NOAA Climate at a Glance — regional tavg. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for US Northeast
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.
US 9-region temperature and precipitation series (1895–present).
US state-level CO₂ emissions and electricity generation mix by fuel source. Energy Information Administration.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in US Northeast changing?
US Northeast 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.
Where does the climate data for US Northeast come from?
Climate data for US Northeast comes from authoritative climate datasets including national meteorological services and peer-reviewed reanalyses, 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 US Northeast climate data cover?
The US Northeast climate profile covers New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and surrounding areas. NOAA Northeast climate region - CT, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
How often is the US Northeast climate update refreshed?
The US Northeast 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 US Northeast 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 US Northeast 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.