Wet Hot Massachusetts Summer: See First Long-Range Forecast

WORCESTER, MA — An early forecast predicts that summer in Massachusetts in 2024 could be a repeat of 2023 — a summer that saw multiple weather disasters and was the second-wettest on record.

Spring hasn’t even begun — the vernal equinox is Tuesday — but the Farmers’ Almanac is already warning Americans to make sure their air conditioners are in good working order. In its summer 2024 weather forecast, the publication said many Americans could experience the hottest temperatures in recorded history. Wet weather is also in the forecast for many parts of the country.

Although it’s still early, the Farmers’ Almanac suggests a muggy, hot day in Massachusetts for Father’s Day, but perhaps drier (but still hot) on July 4. But obviously, plenty could change before either of those holidays.

The Farmers’ Almanac said most of the country will experience a hot, muggy summer, except for the Northwest, where temperatures will be seasonal, according to the forecast. Areas east of the Mississippi River should see plenty of rain and thunderstorms.

Summer 2023 in Massachusetts was marked by almost weekly heavy rainstorms, including some that devastated parts of the state along the Connecticut River. Whole portions of North Attleborough, Leominster and Fitchburg washed away during late summer storms, and Leominster is still fighting to get federal assistance for the cleanup.

Over June, July and August 2023, Massachusetts received 20.3 inches of rain, second only to the summer of 1955, when more than 24 inches fell during the summer, according to National Weather Service records.

The long-range forecast suggests August will be especially wet across the eastern two-thirds of the country.

Summer officially starts on June 20, with the summer solstice.