How Hot Will It Be In VA This Summer? Updated Outlook From The Weather Channel

VIRGINIA — What appears to be a rapid switch to an El Niño climate pattern could affect how summer shapes up in Virginia, according to an updated summer temperature outlook released Thursday by two private weather companies.

Some areas of the country could see the coolest summer temperatures since 2017, while it’s expected to be hotter than usual in the central U.S., according to the outlook from The Weather Company and Atmospheric G2.

Here’s how the outlook, which looks at temperatures relative to average, breaks it down for Virginia from June-August:

June: The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are expected to see above normal temperatures in June, including all of Virginia and Maryland as the "heat will remain focused in central Canada and into the northern United States," according to The Weather Channel.

July: Temperatures are expected to slide to below average in Virginia and Maryland this month.

August: Mid-Atlantic states are expected to see slightly below-average temperatures. Southwest Virginia could be warmer with average highs. "The Northeast and West Coast could remain near average or slightly cooler as summer comes to a close," the Weather Channel reported.

An El Niño is a naturally occurring warming of the surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can cause months- or years-long changes in temperature and precipitation. Its effects are generally experienced more in the winter months, but it can result in cooler-than-normal summers and increased rainfall.

With the switch to this climate pattern, the summer temperature outlook could be revised in the months ahead, according to Todd Crawford, the vice president of meteorology at Atmospheric G2 and the author of the outlook.

El Niño has not yet been officially declared. For that to happen, the pattern must be in place for at least three months. Central and eastern Pacific water temperatures already meet the threshold, according to Crawford.

Right now, here’s how things look for the country:

June: The summer is expected to start on a cool note across much of the Southwest, while the rest of the country’s southern tier of states should see near-average or cooler-than-normal temperatures. Along the northern tier of states, temperatures are expected to be warmer.

July: The heat is expected to push south through the plains to the Southwest, setting up a warmup from cool June temperatures in the southern Rockies and southern Plains. Some areas of both coasts, particularly southern California, could remain near average or slightly cooler.

August: The heat is expected to persist or even intensify from the Plains to the upper Midwest, but some areas of the Northeast and West Coast are expected to see near-average or slightly cooler temperatures.