Virginia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, and Newport News
This month in numbers
April 2026 was Virginia's warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 16.11°C, a significant 4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marked the 1st warmest April in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures for April were also the highest on record, reaching 23.94°C, an anomaly of +4.9°C. In stark contrast, precipitation for April was exceptionally low, ranking as the 74th driest April in 77 years, with only 34.29 mm of rain, a deficit of 48 mm compared to the baseline.
What changed
The trend of warmer and drier conditions extends beyond April. The February–April 2026 period ranked as the 5th warmest on record for average temperature, at 10°C, and the 4th warmest for maximum temperature, at 17.09°C. This three-month span also saw significantly below-average rainfall, ranking as the 74th driest on record with just 53.68 mm of precipitation. Virginia's April average temperature anomaly of +3.98°C placed it as the 10th warmest out of 234 regions globally for the latest month, highlighting a striking concentration of warmth across the US, with nine of the top ten warmest three-month anomalies being US states.
What’s driving change?
The unusually warm and dry conditions in Virginia are being driven by a combination of factors. The lack of precipitation has led to widespread drought conditions across the state, with approximately 94% of Virginia experiencing drought as of May 19, 2026, including severe and extreme drought classifications. This effect means that with less moisture in the ground, the land heats up more rapidly. The persistent dryness has also contributed to an unusual concentration of wildfire activity, with four wildfire events recorded in the past month, representing 100% of the annual total for Virginia. This is particularly concerning as Virginia's spring fire season, which typically sees increased activity due to dormant vegetation, officially ended on April 30. You can track active extreme weather events at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Drought conditions are expected to persist in Virginia through the end of July, despite some forecast rain.
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.