Washington Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Bellevue
This month in numbers
Washington experienced its 18th warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 15.67°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The past three months (April–June 2026) were the 7th warmest on record for the state, with an average temperature of 12.54°C, a significant +1.8°C above the baseline. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1°C, while the April–June period ranked as the 2nd warmest globally for land temperatures, also with a +1°C anomaly.
What changed
The consistent warmth seen over the past three months in Washington, ranking 7th warmest, stands out. This regional warming trend is occurring against a backdrop of significant global temperature increases, with both the latest month and the three-month period ranking among the top three warmest globally for land temperatures. Washington's 1-month anomaly of +1.11°C places it 141st out of 234 regions globally, while its 3-month anomaly of +1.76°C ranks it 76th. Within the NOAA Northwest US climate region, Washington's 1-month anomaly was 0.23°C warmer than the group average, making it the second warmest in the group, just behind Oregon.
What’s driving change?
The current warming trend in Washington is significantly influenced by a strengthening El Niño event. The current state is a weak El Niño, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +1.8°C as of July 1, 2026. Forecasts indicate a 100% probability of El Niño continuing and strengthening through the end of 2026. Historically, El Niño phases typically bring warmer and drier conditions to the Pacific Northwest, leading to a mild, dry winter and a lower mountain snowpack, which can increase summer wildfire risk. This aligns with the recent cluster of wildfire activity in Washington, with four wildfire events recorded between June 27 and July 13, 2026, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. This concentration of wildfires is unusually high for the region and season. Additionally, a flood event occurred between May 19 and July 12, 2026, also representing 100% of the annual total. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker. The long-term trend for Washington shows a warming of +0.90°C against the 1961–1990 baseline.
Looking ahead
The strong El Niño is expected to continue strengthening into the autumn and early winter, suggesting a continued likelihood of warmer and drier than normal conditions for Washington in the coming months.
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 – Washington
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Washington – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Washington
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dsb · ContinentalWashington has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±10.0°C) and a wet/dry cycle (8× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Jan (-18 mm, -10%).
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
Climate Systems
Loading ENSO tracker…
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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 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 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.