June Temperature Outlook: Go North For Heat As Southwest Stays Cool

ACROSS AMERICA — Summer could start upside down as far as temperatures are concerned, according to a new outlook for June.

The June temperature outlook from The Weather Company and its partner, Atmospheric G2, shows a cooler-than-normal start to summer in areas of the Southwest and above-average temperatures in the far northern tier of U.S. states.

The expected shift from a La Niña to an El Niño climate pattern is partially influencing June temperatures, according to Todd Crawford, the vice president of meteorology at Atmospheric G2 and the author of the outlook.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in March declared the end of a triple-dip La Niña the agency said had worsened drought conditions and increased hurricane activity in Atlantic states.

Crawford said the shift in the temperature pattern that began in May is likely to continue.

“This sudden pattern flip has resulted in the lowest May cooling demand nationally since 2016, and June appears as if it will start relatively cool as well, outside of the northern tier of states,” he said.

Generally, temperatures will be cooler than normal in the Southwest, which typically experiences its hottest weather in June ahead of the monsoon season, according to the outlook.

It also said odds favor a cooler-than-normal start to summer along the East Coast. A high ridge of pressure in place from Canada into the Northern Plains is expected to make for a hot start to summer in the Pacific Northwest to the upper Midwest and much of the Great Lakes.