Utah Climate
Top 5 Cities: Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Provo, West Jordan, and Orem
This month in numbers
Utah experienced its warmest March on record, with an average temperature of 10.61°C, an anomaly of +7.7°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marks the 1st warmest March in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures were also exceptionally high, reaching 18.5°C, a +9.3°C anomaly, also ranking as the 1st warmest on record for March. Precipitation for March was significantly below average at 9.14 mm, a deficit of 25.8 mm, ranking as the 72nd driest March on record. Globally, March 2026 was the 2nd warmest March on record for land temperatures.
What changed
The trend of exceptional warmth extends beyond March. The January–March 2026 period was the warmest on record for Utah, with an average temperature of 4.92°C, an anomaly of +5.4°C. This also applies to maximum temperatures for the same period, which ranked 1st warmest on record at 11.87°C, a +6.3°C anomaly. In contrast, precipitation for the January–March period was the 72nd driest on record. Utah's average temperature anomaly for March 2026 ranked 2nd globally, with 8 of the top 10 warmest 1-month anomalies being US states, indicating a striking regional concentration of heat. For the 3-month anomaly, Utah ranked 1st globally. This winter was the warmest on record for the state by 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit, dating back to 1874, with Salt Lake City surpassing its previous record by over 7 degrees Fahrenheit.
What’s driving change?
The persistent and record-breaking warmth in Utah is largely driven by a combination of factors, including the , which sees higher latitudes warming faster than tropical regions. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but El Niño is strongly forecast to emerge by summer, with a 61% likelihood in May-July and increasing to 87% by July-September. El Niño typically leads to warmer global temperatures and could further amplify Utah's already rising temperatures. The state's snowpack is at a record low and peaked three weeks early on March 9, at about half of what is typically received by early April. This warm snow drought, where precipitation falls as rain instead of snow at lower and mid-elevations, means less water is stored in the mountains to slowly melt into rivers and reservoirs. This has contributed to 98% of the state currently experiencing some form of drought, with 59% in extreme drought as of April 23. Utah has also seen an unusual concentration of extreme weather events recently, with one drought, one wildfire, and one flood event logged in the past 12 months, each representing 100% of the annual total for their respective types, indicating a significant and concentrated period of such events. More information can be found at Extreme Weather tracker. Utah recorded 31 wildfires in the first three months of 2026, which is considered an average number compared to last year, but significantly higher than 2024. The limited snowpack has left extra standing, dry vegetation, increasing wildfire risk.
Looking ahead
Forecasters suggest that snowmelt will outpace any new snow the state might receive, and drought conditions are expected to persist across most of the state into the summer.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Utah
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 Utah changing?
Utah 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 Utah come from?
Climate data for Utah 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 Utah climate data cover?
The Utah climate profile covers Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Provo, West Jordan and surrounding areas. Utah climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Utah climate update refreshed?
The Utah 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.