‘Broiling’ Summer Ahead In PA, Summer Forecasts Predict

PENNSYLVANIA — Spring just got started in Pennsylvania, and the first of the summer forecasts are already out — and they all predict brutally hot weather for our part of the country.

A three-month outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center calls for above-average temperatures across the country from June through August, with pockets of extreme heat in the desert southwest and parts of the northeast.

Areas from southern Mississippi through the mid-atlantic could see above normal rainfall, while the Upper Midwest and Northwest could see below normal rainfall. Forecasters think the Great Plains will be especially dry.

The NOAA says that Pennsylvania specifically has a 40 to 45 percent likelihood of "above normal" heat, while all of eastern Pennsylvania is similarly within the 40 to 45 percent likelihood of above normal rain.

The Farmers’ Almanac is more bullish on the precipitation, and says the state will receive average rainfall and "broiling" heat.

Government data is used by private companies that issue their own seasonal forecasts. Competing almanac publications have both released their outlooks. The forecasts suggest the potential for long-standing temperature records to fall in blistering heat waves in July and August. They differ on how much rain different parts of the country will receive this coming summer.

The forecast includes predictions for the two major summer holidays — the July 4-7 Fourth of July weekend and the Sept. 1-3 Labor Day Weekend.

In the PA zone, which also includes New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C, The Farmer’s Almanac forecast suggests a stormy 4th of July.

"Widely scattered showers, thunderstorms could hinder July 4th activities," the Almanac notes.

Labor Day is also expected to see some early thunderstorms in the region, before giving way to more pleasant weather.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is more aligned with the Farmers' Almanac, calling Pennsylvania's summer "hot and dry."

Below, see both almanacs’ predictions for the rest of the country.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a gradual buildup to record-breaking heat. June temperatures will be near normal in most regions of the country.

Last year saw one of the hottest summers on record, with a nationwide average temperature of 73.8 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2.5 degrees above normal. It was also Earth’s hottest summer since global records began in 1880, surpassing a 2023 record.

This year is shaping up to be just as intense almost everywhere except the northwest and southern Florida, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac forecast. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa could see temperatures as high as 4 degrees above normal, and the Deep South and Southwest could also see significantly hotter temperatures, forecasters said, warning of the potential for long-lasting heat waves.

The publication doesn’t expect extreme rainfall events this summer. Precipitation will be near- or slightly below normal in most of the country, it said, while the driest conditions are expected in Texas, Oklahoma and the Great Plains. The Great Lakes region, New England and southern Florida, Hawaii and southern Alaska all could see higher-than-normal rainfall, according to the forecast.

The Farmers’ Almanac

The Farmers’ Almanac expects that by the time the summer solstice rolls around on June 20, much of the country east of the Atlantic Coast and Florida peninsula could experience unsettled stormy conditions. July is expected to be sweltering almost everywhere, with above-normal temperatures that could break long-standing records. Hurricane season could start on the Florida Gulf Coast in the second week of August, and a similar threat is expected along the Atlantic Seaboard the second week of September.

Rainfall is expected to be near normal for most of the country, including in New England and the Northeast, which have seen abnormally wet summers in recent years.

The exception is the drought-prone West, which is expected to be drier than it usually is, potentially increasing the risk for wildfires, the forecast said. Wetter-than-usual conditions are expected across the Southern Plains and the Gulf Coast through Florida.