A peek ahead at summer
It was a long winter with cold temperatures and snow lasting well into late April. March and April temperatures averaged some seven degrees below normal. May did a quick change with temperatures rebounding and so far running 7 degrees above normal. The constant in the weather this year, though, has been the excessive rainfall.
Precipitation is some 8 inches above normal for the year and May rains just don鈥檛 seem to want to come to an end. In spite of all of this, there have been a number of nice warm May days and the plants are certainly enjoying the combination of warm temperatures and plenty of rainfall. The green this year is exceptional and our hillsides and meadows are just beautiful.
In the woods the mountain laurel and rhododendron are getting ready to bloom and our spring wildflowers are giving way to the taller summer variety. Soon our meadows will be ablaze with the colors of these summer wildflowers. Again, the spring rains should make for a very colorful season.
Summer temperatures average 80 degrees for the afternoon high and about 60 for the morning low. Mountain temperatures are a few degrees cooler on most afternoons and make for some very pleasant hikes, bike rides or picnics. June is the coolest with averages of 79 and 57. July sees most days in the low eighties with 83 and 62 for averages, followed by August with 81 and 61. On any given day, we can reach into the 90s and on those rare days, which happen about once every ten years, we can reach 100 degrees.
Summer records for most of Southwestern Pennsylvania are 98 degrees for June, 102 for July and 103 for August. Record chilly mornings are 34 degrees for June, 39 for July and 39 for August.
While the month of September is still considered a summer month, the heat and humidity of summer have usually over stayed their visit, and with the coming of the colors, I like to consider this more of a fall month.
The Farmer蘑菇视频 Almanac is forecasting a hot summer with plenty of afternoon thunderstorms. I trust the scientists at the Climate Prediction Center which is part of NOAA and they are currently calling for the months of June, July and August to have a 33 percent chance of temperatures averaging above normal from Pittsburgh south and near normal temperatures from the city northward.
The same is true of rainfall with a 40 percent chance of above normal from Pittsburgh south and just about normal from the city northward. The TV weather prophets will be making their predictions in the coming days and their focus will be on ratings and hype, and with all long range weather forecasts remember while the science is getting better, we still are not there yet.
Enjoy the warm days of summer and always be prepared for those late afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms.