4 Billion Years On

US West Climate – May 2026 Update

Top States: California and Nevada

Generating fresh US West climate update… This refreshes monthly when new data lands. Reload in a minute to see the latest analysis.

Climate Map – USA

Window

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.

Temperature – Average

US West
United States
Global
Land + Ocean
May
16.6°C· 15th
+1.8°C
16.5°C· 19th
+0.8°C
15.0°C· 2nd
+0.9°C
Record
18.8°C (2001)
18.6°C (2018)
15.1°C (2024)
Mar–May
14.2°C· 1st
+3.4°C
13.2°C· 2nd
+2.6°C
15.0°C· 3rd
+1.0°C
Record
14.2°C (2026)
13.4°C (2012)
15.1°C (2024)
2025
14.2°C· 3rd
+1.8°C
12.6°C· 4th
+1.5°C
15.0°C· 3rd
+1.0°C
Record
14.4°C (2014)
13.1°C (2024)
15.2°C (2024)
Baseline: 1961–1990 mean · Anomaly = difference from baseline · Record = highest (or lowest) value on record

The 4byo Climate Helix – US West

1950202619611990 baselineColdest (1955)20162025 meanWarmest (2014)2026 so far
2026May
WetDryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1950-792016-25Wet Start+7 daysWet End+1 days10°15°20°25°
Temp
11.4°C
-1.0 vs base
Rainfall
183mm
-260 vs base
ENSO
ONI 3-mo mean
Playback
8×
Mode
Metric
Presets

NOAA Climate at a Glance — regional tavg / pcp (monthly absolutes).

US West – Monthly Temperature – All Years

Metric
All years since 19872014 (warmest)2026 (current year)

NOAA Climate at a Glance — regional tavg / pcp (monthly absolutes).

Records – US West

Warmest year
2014
14.4°C
Coldest year
1955
11.5°C
2026 so far
#1/77
11.4°C

NOAA Climate at a Glance — regional tavg / pcp (monthly absolutes).

Shifting Seasons

Warm / cold seasons

How spring and autumn have shifted in US West. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (12.3°C, from 19501979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 20.4°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.

Shifting summer
16 days longer
Warm season
1950–1979 baseline: 1 May → 22 Oct · 175 days
2016–2025 now: 19 Apr → 27 Oct · 190 days
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spr 11 days earlierAut 5 days later
baseline yr·recent yr·ring = global temp anomaly

Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Jun (+2.0°C).

NOAA Climate at a Glance — regional tavg. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.

Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals

Rainfall / Precipitation
US West
United States
May
14 mm· 52nd
-7 mm
73 mm· 49th
-3 mm
Record
72 mm (1998)
114 mm (2019)
Mar–May
22 mm· 67th
-16 mm
63 mm· 58th
-5 mm
Record
92 mm (1995)
88 mm (1957)
2025
445 mm· 33rd
+3 mm
743 mm· 55th
-26 mm
Record
820 mm (1983)
887 mm (1973)
Baseline: 1961–1990 mean · Anomaly = difference from baseline · Record = highest (or lowest) value on record

Member States (2)

Hottest & Coolest in US West this Month

1-month anomaly vs 1961–1990 across the 2 members we cover. Click a name to open its profile.

Warmest

  1. 1.🇺🇸Nevada+2.04°C
  2. 2.☀️California+1.58°C

Coolest

  1. 1.☀️California+1.58°C
  2. 2.🇺🇸Nevada+2.04°C

Climate Systems

Loading ENSO tracker…

Data Sources

  • NOAA Climate at a Glance — Regional time series · NOAA code 109 · Open at NOAA
  • Two-baseline model — comparison baseline 1961–1990; native baseline 1901–2000. Methodology →

Data Sources

Data Sources for US West

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 US West changing?

US West 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 US West come from?

Climate data for US West comes from authoritative climate datasets including national meteorological services and peer-reviewed reanalyses, 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 US West climate data cover?

The US West climate profile covers California, Nevada and surrounding areas. NOAA West - CA, NV

How often is the US West climate update refreshed?

The US West 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.

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