NOAA Summer Outlook – Warmer West, Wetter East
After a chilly start to spring, normal to above average temperatures are expected across most of the nation for summer. That’s according to the new outlook from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, released today. The warmer than average weather is anticipated throughout most of the West and into the Northeast. Below average temperatures are not in the forecast. Below normal precipitation is expected in the Northwest with wetter than normal conditions over most of the east.
Wetter than normal conditions are favored during the summer months for most areas east of the Mississippi, the Four Corners region, and much of Alaska. Odds are increased for a drier than usual summer in the Pacific Northwest. https://t.co/dfWJFLTXzj pic.twitter.com/0oRgBiqPzV
— NWSCPC (@NWSCPC) May 17, 2018
During the summer months #drought conditions are forecast to improve across the Southeast and much of the Great Plains. Drought development is anticipated across south Texas and Oregon as both areas shift into what are typically their drier months. https://t.co/CPY78JXHKa pic.twitter.com/F2H9sMHYUO
— NWSCPC (@NWSCPC) May 17, 2018
The updated drought outlook has improvement in the Southeast and in the Plains. Drought conditions are expected to persist in the Southwest, with a few areas added in the Northwest and in southern Texas.
The Climate Prediction Center states that neutral water temperature conditions are likely throughout the summer in the Pacific Ocean, with no La Nina or El Nino expected. Soil moisture conditions were another consideration for the forecast. With wet soil moisture conditions around the Great Lakes, it is one of the areas that may see near normal temperatures this summer.
For WeatherNation: Meteorologist Mace Michaels