Summer Solstice Marks Longest Day of the Year in the U.S.

The summer solstice is here, marking the official start of the astronomical summer and the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Here is what you need to know about the summer solstice as well as a look into the latest long-range forecast for the next three months across the U.S.

Understanding the Summer Solstice

The precise moment of the summer solstice varies from year to year within a range of a few days. This year's event will happen on Friday, June 20, in the U.S. It will happen on Saturday, June 21, throughout Europe. The moment marks the longest day and the shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The date also signifies the official start of the astronomical summer.

Conversely, the winter solstice will happen at the same time for those in the Southern Hemisphere. This marks the shortest day of the year and the longest night.

Despite it being the longest day of the year, it is not typically the hottest. Most of the U.S. records the warmest readings of the year at the end of July or early August. Temperatures tend to tick up incrementally after the summer solstice as the amount of energy radiating from the sun increases.

The only area of the country that typically sees warmer temperatures in June is the extreme portions of the Desert Southwest. This is because the monsoon season that fires up this time of the year brings in increased cloud cover and more frequent bouts of precipitation.

What to Expect for Temperatures in the Months Ahead

A joint long-range forecast update from The Weather Company and Atmospheric G2 is shedding a little light on what to expect in the coming months for temperatures across the country. The general outlook is calling for hotter than average temperatures for the West and the northern tier of the U.S. while the South is likely to see regular rain showers that bring down the mercury.

When looking at the months of July, August, and September, the Pacific Northwest will see temperatures that hover above the historical norm. Oregon, Washington, and to the east into the Dakotas are also expecting a sizzling summer. These warmer-than-average readings are also expected to push into the Upper Midwest, the Great Lakes, and the Northeast.

It will be the opposite situation along the Gulf Coast and the Southeast, where overall readings will hover just below average. Florida is another area that could see temperatures land near or slightly below the norm for the three months. However, the typical high humidity readings in this part of the U.S. will still make it feel like summer even though the actual air temperatures are bouncing around below normal levels.

The long-range forecast is calling for temperatures that hit above average throughout the three-month time period. The caveat is that the heat could come in periodic bursts, meaning that there will also be times when the mercury tumbles to levels below what is expected during the dog days of summer.

Long Range Moisture Predictions

Now that we have looked at what forecasters are expecting for overall temperature trends in July, August, and September, let's take a look at what to expect for rainfall amounts. The Southeast and the Northeast notched the second and third-wettest May in history, respectively. Unfortunately for those tired of the moisture machine, the precipitation looks to continue in the coming months.

The models suggest that the zone from the Gulf Coast and north to the mid-Atlantic should expect the wet trend to continue. The above-average rainfall amounts will likely creep as far north as southern New England through September.

The Desert Southwest will also be under the gun for higher-than-normal amounts of rain over the next few months. This can be blamed on an expected active North American monsoon season that will deposit increasing amounts of rain across the region, particularly in Arizona.

As a good part of the country spends July through September dodging rain showers, portions of the northern Rockies, the northern Plains, and the Upper Midwest will still be grappling with abnormally dry or drought conditions. Forecasters are warning that drought conditions could worsen by the end of the summer.

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