Think that spring has already had some rather hot days? Wait until summer officially gets here.
AccuWeather, an American media company that provides commercial weather forecasting services worldwide, is predicting more 90-degree days than normal for the area this summer, attributed to a fading El Niño.
“The weather across the country will slowly change,” said AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster, Paul Pastelok. “In much of the eastern United States, a hot summer is in store.”
Specific to the Southeast and Gulf Coast, Pastelok says tropical threats may hold off until the late summer. He says the lingering effects of El Niño will limit the chances of early season tropical development, but activity is sure to ramp up during August.
"With a trend toward a La Niña pattern, along with warming waters and less wind shear over the Gulf of Mexico, this can lead to impacts anywhere on the Gulf Coast, including the east coast of Florida,” said Pastelok.
Also, following the heavy rainfall on the Gulf Coast during spring, above-normal rain during the summer season could lead to bouts of flooding, said Pastelok.
Pastelok expects strong heat and humidity to affect the country from the Northwest, down to the Southeast and Gulf Coast, if severe weather in July doesn’t “turn the warm pattern on its head.”
"July’s a tricky month where there may be a few cool downs from thunderstorms and backdoor fronts,” said Pastelok. “Other than that, I think that in June, July, and August, you'll see your series of heat waves."
For other parts of the country, Pastelok foresees rain and thunderstorm patterns dominating the central and southern Plains; hot, dry weather gripping the Midwest and northern Plains; scarcity of rainfall and drought condition affecting California and the Northwest; and normal to slightly above-normal precipitation for the Southwest due to a weaker monsoon season.