Pennsylvania Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, and Reading
This month in numbers
Pennsylvania experienced a warmer-than-average start to summer, with June 2026 recording an average temperature of 19.5°C, an anomaly of +0.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranked as the 31st warmest June in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures also followed this trend, ranking 28th warmest. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C.
What changed
Looking at the broader picture, the April–June 2026 period in Pennsylvania was significantly warmer, with an average temperature of 15°C, marking an anomaly of +1.4°C. This three-month span ranked as the 11th warmest on record for the state. Maximum temperatures during this period were even more notable, ranking as the 7th warmest in 77 years, with an anomaly of +1.5°C. While Pennsylvania saw slightly below-average precipitation for June, the April-June period was near average. This contrasts with the global land temperature, which saw the April-June 2026 period rank as the 2nd warmest on record.
What’s driving change?
The current climate pattern is heavily influenced by a weak El Niño, which is expected to strengthen and persist through the end of the year. El Niño typically brings warmer-than-average winters to the Northeast USA, though its impact on summer precipitation is less clear. This early and rapidly developing El Niño is unusual. Pennsylvania has also experienced an unusual concentration of wildfire activity recently, with four wildfire events occurring between late June and early July, representing 100% of the past 12 months' total. This follows a trend of shifting wildfire seasons in Pennsylvania, driven by drought and erratic rainfall. Additionally, there was one flood event between May and July, also representing 100% of the past 12 months' total, with flash flooding reported in various parts of the state in June and early July. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's outlook for July-August-September 2026 indicates a 100% probability of El Niño continuing, suggesting a warmer than average summer for the region.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USA
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) or 1991–2020 (rainfall). See methodology.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Pennsylvania
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Pennsylvania – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Pennsylvania
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfb · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in Pennsylvania. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (8.8°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 25.2°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.3°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania changing?
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania come from?
Climate data for Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania climate data cover?
The Pennsylvania climate profile covers Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie and surrounding areas. Pennsylvania climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Pennsylvania climate update refreshed?
The Pennsylvania 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.