Californians can expect hotter-than-average temperatures this summer.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that the weather for June, July and August will be warmer than normal.
The temperature map shows that in California, especially in northern parts of the state, temperatures will be 33% to 50% above average.
The rest of the U.S. — with the exception of a few Midwestern states — can also anticipate a warmer summer. The map is color-coded and the warmer the color, the hotter it’s expected to be.
No portions of the country can expect below-normal summer temperatures.
Meteorologists can’t say for certain why this summer will be hotter, but they suggest several factors can contribute to the warmer weather.
Areas of high pressure tend to develop along the West Coast during the summertime, resulting in clear skies, more sunshine and higher-than-average temperatures, according to National Weather Service forecaster Rich Thompson.
There is also a developing El Niño this summer — the warm phase of the El Niño-La Niña Southern Oscillation pattern — that could have some influence on the higher temperatures, Thompson said.
“The exact impact is hard to say,” he added.
Californians have already experienced unusual weather so far this year.
After a series of winter rainstorms that brought one of the wettest seasons in recent memory, only 6% of California is considered to be in drought, compared with more than 99% of the state a year ago, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
