We're in for a hot, dry summer

We could be in for a hotter-than-normal summer, and possibly a drier one, if NOAA's latest seasonal outlook holds true.

Why it matters: Hot, dry summers can damage crops and strain water supplies. They can also test the power grid as everyone cranks up the AC.

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.

Learn more