Mar 21, 2020 - Energy & Environment

Predictions for a warm spring follow an abnormally balmy winter

Illustration of a small city heating up in a skillet

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

The National Weather Service, AccuWeather and the Weather Channel are each predicting the U.S. will experience above-average temperatures through June.

Why it matters: The temperate spring would follow an abnormally mild winter, ranked the sixth-warmest on record, and playing a hand in spring's early start, The Washington Post reports.

What they're saying:

  • The National Weather Service stated: "NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above-average temperatures across the country this spring, as well as above-average precipitation in the central and eastern United States. Significant rainfall events could trigger flood conditions on top of already saturated soils."
  • AccuWeather noted: "The higher temperature departures do not mean it will be warm all the time; if that were the case, the numbers would be even higher."
  • The Weather Channel wrote: "The best chances for warmer-than-average temperatures are from the West to much of the Rockies, Plains, Great Lakes and Northeast for the three-month period."

Worth noting: “If there is a correlation between the weather and the new coronavirus that can be a positive to helping slow down the spread as we transition to spring in the Northern Hemisphere, that’s what everyone is looking for right now,” said Jon Porter, vice president of AccuWeather for Business. 

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