2026 was the seventh warmest summer in New Hampshire history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The statewide average temperature of 66.8°F was “much” higher than the 20th century average by 2.8°F, according to NOAA data.
Experts say man-made climate change is driving up temperatures here and globally.
“Seven of the ten warmest summers on record [in New Hampshire] have happened since the year 2000,” said Mary Stampone, the state’s climatologist. 2024 was the state’s warmest summer over more than 130 years of recorded data, with an average temperature of 67.6°F.
Derek Schroeter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said beyond average temperature figures, other measures tell an even more complete picture of how the region is heating up.
“We're seeing warmer overnight temperatures, so we're not cooling off as quickly,” he said. He said those night time temperatures are driving up averages even more than daytime ones.
Meanwhile, 2026 was the warmest summer ever recorded across the contiguous United States, with records set in communities across the Southwest and Rocky Mountains.
Stampone said this year’s El Niño climate pattern also likely influenced local weather. According to the U.S. Geological Survey it could mean a warmer and wetter winter along the Atlantic seaboard.
With an average of 11.65 inches of rain statewide, it was a normal summer in terms of precipitation. But given the lingering statewide drought, almost all of New Hampshire still finds itself far drier than normal. According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 60% of the state is experiencing a moderate drought.
“We're still digging out of that hole from last summer,” said Stampone. 2025 was the state's driest summer ever recorded, with conditions intensifying into the early fall. Stampone said that even with decent snow and rain since, the state has not seen enough precipitation to get back to normal.
Precipitation and atmospheric temperatures are related, so as it gets warmer, periods of heavy precipitation and dryness are more likely, Stampone said.
“When it comes to precipitation, we're seeing an increase in both the extreme ends,” she said. “... When you add more heat into the process, you're just going to ramp up those extremes and have less in the middle.”
So even as it becomes wetter overall, that precipitation will be more intense, and with more dry periods in between wet storms. New Hampshire’s wettest summer ever in 2023 was just two years before its driest ever.
Stampone said this changing pattern should mean the state changes how it manages water. She said unlike states in the western U.S., which face higher longer-term drought risk and potential water shortages, New Hampshire will have plenty of water in coming years.
“It's just not evenly distributed like it used to be,” she said.
Looking ahead, Stampone said this year’s El Niño will likely mean a mild winter.
Overall 2026 has been above average in terms of temperature in the state, so far it has been the 23rd warmest year ever recorded.
