2025 was Utah's hottest on record. 2026 is on track to be even hotter

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Utah is on track for its warmest year, potentially surpassing 2025's record temperatures.
• The first half of 2026 averaged 49.6 degrees, 3.3 degrees higher than 2025's start.
• High-pressure systems, warmer storms and low snowpack have contributed to this year's average.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is on pace to have its warmest year in over a century, which would break a record set just last year.

The Beehive State ended the first half of 2026 with an average temperature of 49.6 degrees, 1.2 degrees above the previous record for the first six months of a year set in 1934, according to National Centers for Environmental Information data updated on Thursday.

It's also 3.3 degrees above the first six months of 2025, which ultimately surpassed 1934 as Utah's warmest year since statewide data began to be collected in 1895.

All of this was before a hot start to July, which included a slew of new local records over the weekend. The high temperature in Salt Lake City, for example, reached 109 degrees on Sunday, the highest temperature recorded since the National Weather Service began tracking its data in 1874.

This year is also on pace to be the state's 13th driest in 132 years.

Why 2026 has been so hot — so far

This year has essentially started where 2025 left off. Last year would not have surpassed 1934 had it not been for November and December. Those months combined to have an average temperature 4 degrees above the previous record since statewide data was first collected in 1895.

This year has already produced one of the state's 10 warmest Januarys, Februarys and Junes on record, but March is a big reason that the first half stands so far ahead of everyone else. Utah's average temperature that month was 5.6 degrees above the previous record over the previous 132 years and nearly 14 degrees above the 20th-century average.

Although April and May were relatively mild, with cold snaps that wrecked the state's fruit-growing industry, 2026 still ended up with the highest average temperature by a considerable margin.

There are a few factors that led to what Utah has experienced so far this year, says Jon Meyer, assistant state climatologist at the Utah Climate Center at Utah State University.

There were multiple warmer storms this winter, leading to more rain in higher elevation areas that typically receive snow, partially factoring in the state's record-low snowpack.

Several fairly large high-pressure systems have parked over Utah this year, also factoring in the lower precipitation and hot temperatures. National Weather Service meteorologists on Sunday recorded the hottest atmospheric temperature in over eight decades of weather balloon tracking this weekend, showcasing its strength and the heat it produced.

At the same time, the state's low snowpack led to below-average soil moisture levels, making it easier for the sun's energy to heat up land temperatures. All of this added to a trend of warming temperatures in Utah that began to develop in the 1980s, which climatologists generally attribute to rises in greenhouse gas emissions.

"No matter how we slice it, individually or collectively, we've had just an incredibly warm stretch of winter, spring and now summer for the state of Utah," Meyer told KSL. "We're very much living off of a couple of months of really extreme temperatures earlier this year."

What's in store for the second half?

It's unclear whether this trend will last, considering Utah's first and second halves have historically been different. This year already includes a major shift in oceanic patterns, as the La Niña that factored in winter weather shifts to what is forecast to be a strong El Niño for the rest of the year.

While Utah is typically caught between both patterns, long-range models signal two key trends for the second half that may factor into whether or not Utah breaks its all-time temperature record in back-to-back years.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center says Utah has higher odds for above-normal temperatures, but also above-normal precipitation over the next three months — a good sign for monsoons. That's when heat mixes with oceanic vapor to spawn showers and thunderstorms, which is in the state's forecast this week.

It also tends to bring in extra humidity and cloud cover that can create cooler temperatures, Meyer points out.

"(The monsoon) can really change how a season plays out," he said. "If we have a really active monsoon, we tend to be cooler and wetter.

Preliminary models for the final quarter of the year list slightly lower odds for above-normal temperatures and less certainty over precipitation, though that will change as fall and winter near.

Given last year's record, those months could also determine whether or not 2026 breaks the temperature record Utah broke this year.

Yet, any record set this year could be short-lived. While Utah is full of weather extremes, warming global temperatures have created high-pressure systems that have created hotter temperatures in Utah during all seasons, leading to the state's rising average temperatures, Meyer said.

"We certainly are loading the dice on any given year or season to have those record-breaking conditions, and we've seen quite a few records fall over the last 10 years," he said.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Utah weatherUtah waterUtah wildfiresUtahEnvironmentOutdoors

Carter Williams

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Carter Williams is a reporter for KSL. He covers Salt Lake City, statewide transportation issues, outdoors, the environment and weather. He is a graduate of Southern Utah University.