The big picture: NOAA's summer outlook map (released in mid-May) shows virtually the entire contiguous U.S. favored to be hotter than normal.
Zoom in: The same outlook projects below-normal rainfall across a broad swath of the Plains and Northwest. Kansas City sits near the eastern fringe of this dry zone.
State of play: Much of the central U.S. is already parched heading into summer. About half of the Missouri River Basin, which includes Kansas and Missouri, is in moderate to extreme drought right now.
Between the lines: As the climate warms, below-average seasons are becoming less common. In other words, the deck is stacked for heat.
What to watch: Forecasters expect drought to persist or even expand across the region without sufficient rain this summer.
