The Weather Network Delivers its Summer Forecast

Most of the country can expect near to above normal temperatures this summer. The heat will be most persistent west of the Rockies, east of the Appalachians, and along the Gulf Coast. The Heartland will be more vulnerable to periods of cooler weather.  Back and forth temperature swings will lead to near normal temperatures for most of the region, but near to slightly cooler than normal temperatures are expected for the Upper Midwest.

Surges of subtropical moisture will bring numerous showers and thunderstorms for parts of the interior West, leading to above normal precipitation from the Four Corners northward through the Rocky Mountains. Abundant Gulf moisture and frequent storms will also bring above normal rainfall from the lower Mississippi and Ohio Valleys through the eastern Great Lakes. Elsewhere much of the country can expect near normal precipitation, though dry conditions may continue for parts of Florida and Georgia.

"While it's not expected to be exceptionally hot or cool across the country, the weather patterns shaping up for this season are likely to bring typical summer heat for most," said Chris Scott, Chief Meteorologist with The Weather Network. "There is some uncertainty in the overall weather patterns though, because we are headed into an El Niño event while still on the heels of one of the strongest El Niño events on record."

Southeast
Despite some recent drought relief, a dry pattern is expected to resume for most of the summer across parts of Georgia and Florida, which have experienced a long-term drought. A return to an elevated risk for wildfires is expected throughout the summer.  However, despite the predominately dry pattern near the Atlantic coast, there is also the potential for meaningful drought relief later in the season from a tropical system. 

West
In California, lush vegetation has flourished after a winter that featured record rain and snowfall. But as we enter the typical dry season, this will provide extra fuel for this year's wildfires. Across the Intermountain West, above normal rainfall and warm temperatures are expected from the Four Corners to the Canadian border.

Northeast
A warm summer is expected, but not nearly as hot nor as dry as last year. More humidity and a stormier pattern is expected to bring near normal rainfall across much of the region, with the greatest chance for above normal rainfall west of the Appalachians. 

Midwest
Near normal temperatures are expected across most of the region, but occasional bouts of cooler weather may tip the balance to below normal for parts of the Upper Midwest.  Near to above normal precipitation is expected, with wetter and stormier conditions likely from the Great Lakes south to the Ohio Valley.

What is normal or seasonal?
Normal temperatures and precipitation are calculated using a 30-year average for a particular location.  Temperatures for a particular season are considered above normal or below seasonal when the three-month average is higher or lower than the long-term average by at least 2° Fahrenheit. Similarly, a 30% variance in precipitation totals will be recorded as above or below normal for the season. 

Regional Forecast Breakdown

Complete summer forecast details, including regional breakdowns, maps and charts are available at www.theweathernetwork.com .  Users can join The Weather Network online or on mobile for personalized notifications and alerts this summer and throughout the year. In addition, by joining The Weather Network, users can share images to the Gallery in a variety of weather categories including, Active Weather, Beautiful Weather and Travel.

The Weather Network app is available from Google Play and iTunes.

About The Weather Network
The Weather Network is a leading provider of weather and weather-related forecasts and reports on all platforms. Celebrating 28 years, parent company Pelmorex Media Inc., in addition to US operations also operates in Canada, Spain, the U.K., Germany and Ireland under the banners The Weather Network, MétéoMédia,  Eltiempo.es and WetterPlus. The Weather Network and its French counterpart MétéoMédia are Canada's most popular weather and information services on TV, web and mobile apps. Eltiempo is Spain's leading multi-platform weather information provider. Pelmorex also operates Canada's National Alerting Aggregation and Dissemination System (Alert Ready) which aggregates and distributes emergency alerts issued by authorized government agencies. 

SOURCE The Weather Network