Summer 2023 Forecast Calls For Oppressively Hot Summer In Rhode Island

RHODE ISLAND — The Farmers’ Almanac has released its extended summer forecast, and the words you need to know in Rhode Island are scorching and dry.

It's true that thunderstorms and heavy rains will likely come sometime between June 20 and June 30 to kick off the official start of summer. But as a whole, Rhode Island is expected to see below-average precipitation and unrelenting

Another drought like last summer is certainly possible and could once again create challenges for Rhode Island farmers.

The Summer Solstice on June 21 marks the official beginning of the season, but summer activities kick off over Memorial Day weekend — May 27-29 this year — and are in full swing by the start of meteorological summer on June 1.

Across much of the country, summer temperatures will be “sizzling,” with unrelenting 90- to 100-degree Fahrenheit heat persisting from late June through early September, according to the forecast.

The forecast said temperatures could even top those recorded last year, when the U.S. sweltered through the third-hottest summer on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

If you’re planning to travel around the country this summer, here’s a brief look at what you should prepare for as summer starts, according to the Farmer’s Almanac forecast:

• It calls for a stormy start to meteorological summer, especially east of the Mississippi River, before turning “quite warm” by the end of the month.
• Thunderstorms are also predicted for the Northeast at the start of meteorological season, with heavy rains around the summer solstice extending into the Ohio Valley.
• The Southeast, North Central and South Central regions of the country are expected to see showers and thunderstorms around the time of the June solstice.
• On the West Coast, hot and dry conditions are expected.

Sweltering, triple-digit temperatures and high humidity are expected to settle in across much of the country around the Fourth of July and continue through August. With heat indices are figured in, the “feel like” temperature could be 110 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, according to the forecast.

The Central U.S. could see above-average rainfall, with a swath of the country extending from the Rockies, Plains, Midwest and east to the Mid-Atlantic Coast experiencing occasional bouts of heavy rainfall from big thunderstorms and longer-lasting showers.

The Northeast, New England and West are expected to see below-average precipitation. In the West, arid conditions combined with excessive heat could pose a significant wildfire threat, and the Southwest is unlikely to see any drought relief, according to the forecast.

The warm, humid air could spawn an increase in heavy thunderstorms in the Southeast.

The Farmer’s Almanac forecast suggests hurricane threats in Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic states around the third week in August, along the Eastern Seaboard around the time of the fall equinox on Sept. 23, and along the Southeast coast around Columbus Day on Oct. 9.

Hurricane season traditionally peaks around Sept. 10. NOAA released its names for 2023 hurricanes last month.

On Thursday, NOAA said the La Niña weather phenomenon — which scientists say worsened drought conditions and increased hurricane activity — had ended after an unprecedented three years.