Contiguous U.S. Averages 58.7°F in October, Fourth-Warmest in 132 Years, as Nighttime Lows Set Records for a Fourth Straight Month
WASHINGTON — The contiguous United States recorded its fourth-warmest October in the 132-year record, with an average temperature of 58.7°F, 4.6°F above the 20th-century average, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), reported on November 9. October was the 21st consecutive month with contiguous U.S. temperatures above the 20th-century average.
Nighttime warmth stood out. The average nighttime minimum temperature across the Lower 48 was 46.3°F, 4.9°F above the 20th-century average, surpassing the previous October record set in 1947 by 0.1°F. October was the fourth consecutive month, from July through October 2026, in which the national average nighttime minimum set a new monthly record. All 48 states recorded average temperatures above their 20th-century baselines, and 30 states, extending from Oregon to North Carolina and Texas to Minnesota, experienced much-above-average October temperatures.
Precipitation averaged 2.35 inches across the contiguous United States, 0.19 inch above the 20th-century average. The Southwest climate region averaged 2.68 inches, 233% of its average October total, tying its fourth-wettest October. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada each ranked among their 10 wettest Octobers on record. Hawaiʻi received 8.65 inches in October, and its year-to-date precipitation through October reached 95.31 inches, 46.23 inches above the 1991-2020 average, marking the wettest January-October on record for the state.
Drought eased markedly. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about 44% of the contiguous United States was in drought on November 3, down from 59% on September 29 and the lowest coverage since January. NCEI also noted that Hurricane Isaias, the latest first hurricane to form in the Atlantic basin during the satellite era, made landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall across the Southeast.
NCEI said its comprehensive October 2026 U.S. Climate Report is scheduled for release on November 13. The November outlook favors above-average temperatures across much of the contiguous United States and Alaska, and above-average precipitation across much of the West, Plains, South and Southeast.
(Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国家环境信息中心发布的2026年10月全美气温百分位图（美国国家海洋和大气管理局 NOAA，公共领域）。 / Photo: October 2026 U.S. mean temperature percentiles map published by NCEI (NOAA, public domain).
