NOAA and its partners have released the latest Regional Climate Impacts and Outlooks, which recap spring conditions and provide insight into what might be expected this summer.
Spring Temperature Recap
The March–May average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 51.5°F, 0.6°F above average, ranking in the middle third of the record. Temperatures were above average from the southern Plains and Great Lakes to the East Coast and in parts of the Northwest. Temperatures were below average from parts of the West Coast to the northern Plains. Florida ranked fourth warmest while Massachusetts ranked 10th warmest on record for this spring season.
Spring Precipitation Recap
The contiguous U.S. March–May precipitation total was 7.86 inches, 0.08 inch above average, ranking in the middle third of the record. Precipitation was above average from the West Coast to the Rocky Mountains and in parts of the western Plains, northern Great Lakes and Southeast. Spring precipitation was below average from the central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic and in parts of the central and northern Rockies, as well as Maine during the March-May period. Pennsylvania and Maryland each ranked ninth driest while Kansas ranked 13th driest on record for the spring season.
Summer Temperature Outlook
The July–September 2023 temperature outlook favors above-normal seasonal mean temperatures across a majority of the U.S. The highest probabilities (more than 50 percent) of above-normal temperatures are forecast across parts of California, the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, Southwest, Gulf Coast, and East.
Summer Precipitation Outlook
The July–September precipitation outlook depicts elevated probabilities of below-normal precipitation for parts of the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, and Great Lakes, while above-normal precipitation is favored across much of the Great Plains, parts of the Middle to Lower Mississippi Valley, Northern Rockies, and Florida Peninsula.
Impacts and Outlooks for Your Region
Get more details for your region in the June 2023 climate impacts and outlooks summaries:
- Alaska and Northwestern Canada Region
- Great Lakes Region
- Gulf of Maine Region
- Mid-Atlantic Region (coming soon)
- Midwest Region
- Missouri River Basin Region
- Northeast Region
- Pacific Region
- Southeast Region
- Southern Region
- Western Region
Creating These Quarterly Summaries
NOAA’s Regional Climate Services lead the production of these quarterly summaries of climate impacts and outlooks for various regions of the United States as well as parts of Canada along the border. This effort, which began in 2012, includes 11 unique regional products that are produced collaboratively with partner organizations.
You can access all of the Climate Impacts and Outlooks summaries as well as additional reports and assessments through the U.S. Drought Portal Reports web page at Drought.gov.
