diff --git a/.github/ci/recipe.yaml b/.github/ci/recipe.yaml
index fb77725e4..2a887e8b0 100644
--- a/.github/ci/recipe.yaml
+++ b/.github/ci/recipe.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ requirements:
     - netcdf4 >=1.7.2
     - numpy >=2.1.0
     - tqdm >=4.50.0
-    - xarray >=2025.8.0
+    - xarray >=2025.8.0,<2026.4.0 # TODO: remove upper pin when https://github.com/UXARRAY/uxarray/issues/1490 is resolved
     - cf_xarray >=0.8.6
     - xgcm >=0.9.0
     - zarr >=2.15.0,!=2.18.0,<3
diff --git a/pixi.toml b/pixi.toml
index 22e141453..2f32df251 100644
--- a/pixi.toml
+++ b/pixi.toml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ python = ">=3.11"
 netcdf4 = ">=1.6.0"
 numpy = ">=2.1.0"
 tqdm = ">=4.50.0"
-xarray = ">=2024.5.0"
+xarray = ">=2024.5.0,<2026.4.0" # TODO: remove upper pin when https://github.com/UXARRAY/uxarray/issues/1490 is resolved
 holoviews = ">=1.22.0" # https://github.com/prefix-dev/rattler-build/issues/2326
 uxarray = ">=2025.3.0"
 dask = ">=2024.5.1"