Virginia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, and Newport News
This month in numbers
Virginia experienced its 2nd warmest March on record, with an average temperature of 11.44°C, a significant 4.2°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures also ranked as the 2nd highest for March, reaching 19.22°C, which is 5.6°C above average. Precipitation for March was notably low, ranking as the 69th driest out of 77 years, with 54.86 mm, a deficit of 38.5 mm compared to the baseline.
What changed
The first three months of 2026 saw Virginia's average temperature rank as the 22nd warmest on record, at 4.89°C, 1.6°C above the 1961–1990 average. 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. Virginia itself ranked 30th out of 234 regions globally for its one-month temperature anomaly. The state has also been experiencing ongoing drought conditions, with two drought events active in the past 12 months, representing 100% of the annual total, an unusual concentration. Additionally, a flood event occurred in April 2026, also representing 100% of the annual total for floods in the past 12 months.
What’s driving change?
The significant warmth experienced in Virginia this March, and the ongoing drought, can be attributed to a combination of factors. While the current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing by May-July 2026, with probabilities reaching 87% by July-September. ENSO tracker. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Virginia, which could exacerbate the existing drought. The state has been under a drought warning for south-central Virginia and a drought watch for central and eastern parts of the state since March 2026. This dry soil amplification means that the ground cannot cool itself through evaporation, leading to higher air temperatures. Virginia also experienced severe weather, including damaging winds and potential tornadoes, in mid-March.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Virginia
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 Virginia changing?
Virginia 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 Virginia come from?
Climate data for Virginia 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 Virginia climate data cover?
The Virginia climate profile covers Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond and surrounding areas. Virginia climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Virginia climate update refreshed?
The Virginia 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.