Forecasters report Kentuckians can likely expect some hotter and wetter days on average this summer. The National Weather Service’s (NWS) three-month outlook shows which areas of the country have higher, or lower, chances of above-average precipitation and temperatures. According to the report, eastern Kentucky is predicted to have a 40-50% chance of higher-than-average temperatures, as well as a 33-40% chance of higher precipitation.
Jane Marie Wix is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for NWS Jackson. She said the primary purpose of a seasonal outlook is to provide a broad estimate of general conditions that are useful to people in certain professions.
“Fire weather, for instance- if it’s going to be below normal precip[itation] and above normal temperature chances, they might need to start preparing if [they] need more staffing or something like that. So, I would use it more in that sense,” said Wix. “Also, for agriculture, it’s helpful for them as well in drought monitoring. So, a lot of it’s just for decision-makers, for planning on their end.”
According to the report, the Commonwealth is unlikely to see any drought development this year, despite chances at higher temperatures.
Wix said these conditions aren’t set in stone, as weather events are difficult to predict past the seven-day mark, though outlook reports can still be useful for planning.
“We could have days where we’re below normal, and we could have days where we’re above normal. It is an overall three months outlook, so it is more of a generalized average of all three months. And just because it is above normal, it is just saying it’s favoring leaning above normal for the chances. So, you could see it going either way, really,” said Wix.
Wix added during the summer months, it is always important to prepare for hot weather, regardless of what the outlook predicts for the region.
Regular weather updates from the NWS are available online at weather.gov, as well as by tuning in to 90.3 FM WMKY.