Heat wave predictions for 2024: Will this be a hot summer?
This summer is expected to sizzle, with forecasters predicting higher-than-average temperatures. Find out which parts of the U.S. can expect heat waves.
Whether you believe in global warming or not, prepare for a lot of heat this summer. Forecasters predict a hotter-than-average season for many parts of the United States.
According to AccuWeather meteorologists, almost all of the states will feel searing temperatures. Meteorological summer began on Saturday, June 1, while astronomical summer has yet to start on the solstice on Thursday, June 20.
Summer starts early in some states
Some areas did not even have to wait for the start of summer to experience the heat. Temperatures reached 90 degrees in Baltimore, Maryland on April 29, almost one month ahead of the typical schedule. Meanwhile, Phoenix, Arizona had a taste of its earliest 100-degree day in six years.
READ ALSO: NASA sets new date for long-delayed Boeing’s Starliner first manned launch
Heat to rise above historical averages
AccuWeather predictions indicate that more than half of the U.S. will swelter in temperatures running at least two degrees above historical averages from the months of June through August.
Big increases in temperature are expected to occur in the South, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, and Great Plains, with west Texas and the Canadian border projected to experience three to four-degree changes above the average.
READ ALSO: SpaceX prepares for fourth Starship launch
Cities in the South and Southwest bore the brunt of last year’s unforgiving heat waves; this year, a group of East Coast and Midwest cities could suffer suffocating weather.
Boston may observe 90-plus-degrees on anywhere from 16 to 22 days, five more than last year’s tally. New York may sweat with 90-degree days on 20 to 26 days.
Thunderstorms and rain showers may provide some periods of relief from the heat in June and July in the Great Lakes, Upper Midwest, and southwestern Plains. However, the weather is also drier, which could cause stifling temperatures in the region in August.