(NEXSTAR) – An unusually hot summer could turn into a wet fall, long-range forecasts released Thursday show.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center have released their latest three-month weather forecast, which includes broad forecasts for the continental United States and Alaska.
Unfortunately, for those who have endured a sweltering summer, there appears to be little possibility of relief between now and October. Every state has a tendency, at least partially, to have above-average temperatures in late summer and early fall.
The likelihood of hotter than normal weather over the next three months is particularly high (60%-70%) in the Northeast and Four Corners states.
The map below shows the likelihood of a super-hot summer across the country. The darker the orange, the warmer the weather is likely to be.
Areas shown in white, like the West Coast, are a tough call: equal chances of normal weather, above-average weather, and below-average weather.
It turns out it’s already a very hot season – and we’re only halfway through summer. Heat has been the suspected cause of death in dozens of recent cases, including a retiree in Oregon, a motorcyclist in Death Valley, California, and a 10-year-old who collapsed while hiking with his family on a Phoenix trail. year old boy.
Heat records were broken in Western states in July, with Palm Springs, California, recording the highest temperature ever recorded. all time high The temperature on July 5 was 124 degrees Fahrenheit, and Las Vegas recorded a record high temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit on July 7.
Continued high temperatures combined with expected drought conditions could exacerbate drought conditions across the West. Precipitation amounts tend to be below average across much of the West and Midwest.
Meanwhile, the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast are expected to receive more rainfall than normal over the next three months as the Atlantic hurricane season continues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
