June 21 is the official start of summer this year. Time for summer vacations, backyard barbeques, beach days, boat rides, family reunions, outdoor concerts, 4th of July parades, picnics in the park, flower gardens, farmer’s markets, ice cream cones and lemonade stands.
Weather experts are predicting warmer-than-normal temps for much of the United States as computer models show that the effects of the El Niño event from last winter will transition into La Niña conditions. The Pacific Northwest, the northern Plains, the Great Lakes region and the Northeast should see well-above-average temperatures, The Weather Channel notes, while Southern California, the central/southern Plains and the Southeast will be warmer than normal.