Summer 2024 Forecast: ‘Frequent’ Severe Weather, 90-Degree Days Ahead

ACROSS AMERICA — Sizzling temperatures and frequent 90-degree days in much of the country could strain air conditioners and cause utility bills to soar in much of the country this summer, AccuWeather said in a seasonal forecast released Wednesday.

The heat could also fuel strong storms, including derechos, or “inland hurricanes” with sustained winds of 58 or more mph, with gusts of up to 100 mph, over an area more than 400 miles wide, the private weather company said.

Meteorological summer doesn’t start until June 1 (the official start of the season is on June 20 with the summer solstice), but some areas of the country have already seen temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, more than a month ahead of normal. Phoenix had its earliest 100-degree day on record.

Some cities, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., could blow past historical averages for the number of 90-degree days. Each of those cities is expected to suffer through more days of such temperatures than they did in 2023.

Temperatures are forecast to be about 2 degrees above historical averages for more than half of the country from June to August. That comes on the heels of the warmest year on record in 2023.

Minneapolis, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix and Portland, Oregon, could also exceed historical averages for 90-degree days

Areas from the Plains to the Northeast could see scorching heat waves. The hottest areas, when compared with historical averages, could be over the Great Lakes, Upper Midwest and Southwestern Plains, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

At the same time, rain over the Pacific Northwest is expected to reduce the chance of a long heat wave in places such as Seattle and Portland.

Overall, showers and thunderstorms may bring some periodic relief from the heat in June and July, but drier weather in August could bring scorching temperatures, he said.

The annual monsoon season in the West is expected to start later than usual. While rain can bring relief from summer heat, it carries an accompanying risk of flash floods and wildfire-igniting lightning.

The Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be especially active and exceed 30-year historical averages, and the first storm could spin up before the official start of the season on June 1, AccuWeather said.

AccuWeather meteorologists are forecasting between 20 and 25 named storms across the Atlantic basin in 2024, including eight to 12 hurricanes, four to seven major hurricanes, and four to six direct U.S. impacts.

“There is an increased flood threat for the Gulf States as a busy tropical season is anticipated with one or two threats in the summer season,” Pastelok said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also predicted a strong Atlantic hurricane season for 2024.