The sweltering heat of summer is slowly trudging toward fall, but the question on many Mississippians’ minds is simple: When will it finally cool down?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tried to answer that question with its 50-state fall 2026 weather predictions, released Aug. 20.
Unfortunately for those hoping for cooler weather sooner than later, NOAA predicts temperatures will remain well above average in Mississippi and across the South into September, with a 60% to 70% probability of high heat.
According to NOAA, the average temperature in Mississippi during September ranges between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit – including both daytime and nighttime temps – so temperatures are expected to be above that this year.
Additionally, NOAA has Mississippi’s precipitation outlook labeled as “equal chances” – meaning there are no signs one way or the other for NOAA to determine rainy conditions – for the first half of September.
READ MORE: July was the hottest month on record in the contiguous U.S.
For late September through November, NOAA issued a less confident prediction of higher temperatures in Mississippi. It still showed signs of above-average heat, but with a much lower probability of between 33% and 40%. The recorded average temperature from October to December in Mississippi is between 50 and 65 degrees across the state. The precipitation outlook remains the same.
NOAA labels temperatures in Mississippi as “equal chances” during the final months of fall, so it’s hard to know what temperatures to expect as we build toward December.
However, it is a good sign that the “colder” months aren’t currently labeled as higher than average. From October through November, Mississippi is expected to have a higher-than-average chance of precipitation, landing between 33% and 40%.
