The National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting a hot summer for the United States, with hotter-than-average conditions in every state except North Dakota. A large swath of states from Texas, through the Rockies and up to Idaho have the highest chances for a hot summer, as does the Northeast from New York through Maine. The extra heat is curtesy of the expected switch from El Niño to La Niña by the end of summer.
Better make sure your air conditioner is tuned up, your coils are clean, and the refrigeration hasn’t leaked out. This goes for your car, too.
The NWS also predicts a dryer-than-normal summer in much of the West and Plains states while the East Coast is expected to see more rain than usual. California is not expecting a drought, but the same cannot be said of its neighbors to the East. That could hurt cattle ranchers and impact harvest rates, meaning the cost of food could see more upward pressure.
Forecasters also predict an extremely active hurricane season with 23 named stores and 11 hurricanes, five of which are expected to qualify as major hurricanes. If you live in a hurricane-prone area, you should probably check your preps and freshen your bugout plan.
Published 4/23/2024. See maps and read the full article.
UPDATE: Another article on hurricanes, posted on the 24th, shows the University of Pennsylvania is predicting 33 named storms with the possibility of as many as 39. As a reminder, hurricane season starts June 1 but the worst storms often don’t appear until August or later.
