Washington Climate
Top 5 Cities: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Bellevue
This month in numbers
Washington experienced its 11th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 8.61°C, a notable 1.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The three-month period from February to April 2026 also ranked as the 6th warmest on record, with an average of 5.54°C, 1.5°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
Washington's consistently warmer-than-average temperatures this spring align with a broader national trend, as nine of the top ten warmest regions in the US for the past three months were US states. The state's 1-month anomaly of +1.61°C was also slightly warmer than its NOAA Northwest US climate region group average of +1.42°C. Washington is currently experiencing its fourth consecutive year of drought, with a statewide emergency declared on April 8, 2026, due to sparse snowpack and multiple years of precipitation deficits. This "snow drought" is characterized by high temperatures causing precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth and ongoing drought conditions in Washington are significantly influenced by , with winters warming faster than summers and spring arriving earlier. The state's low snowpack, a result of warmer temperatures leading to rain instead of snow, is a key factor in the current drought. This early onset of dry conditions has contributed to an unusually active start to the wildfire season, with three wildfire events recorded in May, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. The Libby Creek Fire, which burned 125 acres in early May, marked an early start to the state's wildfire season. Additionally, two drought events and one flood event have been logged in the past 12 months, each representing 100% of their respective annual totals, indicating an unusual concentration of these extreme weather events. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but there is an 82% chance of El Niño conditions emerging by July, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Pacific Northwest, potentially exacerbating drought and wildfire risks in the coming months.
Looking ahead
The forecast suggests a high probability of El Niño conditions developing by summer and persisting through the end of the year, which typically leads to warmer and drier winters in the Pacific Northwest, potentially worsening drought conditions and increasing wildfire risk.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Washington
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 Washington changing?
Washington 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 Washington come from?
Climate data for Washington 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 Washington climate data cover?
The Washington climate profile covers Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver and surrounding areas. Washington climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Washington climate update refreshed?
The Washington 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.