Farmer's Almanac predicts Iowa weather to be 'hotter and rainier than normal' this summer
Unpack your shorts and turn on the AC — the Farmer's Almanac and the National Weather Service predict above-average temperatures in Iowa this summer.
The season doesn't officially start until summer solstice on June 21, but the meteorological summer runs from June 1 through Aug. 31 — and it's going to be hot and humid, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
The Almanac, which has predicted weather "using a carefully guarded formula" annually for more than 200 years, said that "summer will be hotter and rainier than normal, with the hottest periods in early and late June and early to mid-July."
The NWS Climate Prediction Center also expects increased odds of above-average temperatures this summer. The average high temperature for June in Des Moines is 81.9 degrees, according to the weather service; that climbs to 85.6 in July and dips to 83.6 in August.
If electric demands cannot keep up with the extreme heat, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. has warned Iowans that electric providers may resort to rolling blackouts this summer.
More: Iowans warned they may see rolling blackouts this summer as NOAA predicts above-average temperatures
While NWS predicts below-average rainfall for the plains area this summer, the Almanac predicts more rainfall than normal. AccuWeather's extended summer forecast appears to agree with the Almanac, predicting storm patterns that will move across the state this summer.
"This wet weather pattern is predicted to continue across the regions into the summer with frequent rain that could disrupt many outdoor summertime activities, such as doing yard work, exercising outdoors or playing golf," AccuWeather said in their summer forecast.
More: The ultimate guide to Des Moines-area swimming pools for the 2022 season
Iowa could see more severe weather
According to AccuWeather, the Midwest faces the highest risk of severe weather this summer, including the potential for damaging storms and tornadoes. AccuWeather noted similarities between the long-term weather pattern this year and the long-term weather pattern in 2012 that led to a destructive derecho across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.
A derecho is "a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Iowa was last hit by a derecho — the first December derecho in U.S. history — on Dec. 15, 2021. That marked the state's second derecho in two years, after a derecho ripped through the Midwest on Aug. 10, 2020.
More: These are the hottest days in Iowa history
Grace Altenhofen is a news reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at galtenhofen@registermedia.com or on Twitter @gracealtenhofen.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa weather could be hot, rainy in summer 2022, Farmer's Almanac says
