Weekend Weather Preview

Summer will officially arrive this weekend, and for most of the country, the weather will feel like it but be pleasant at the same time.

Saturday

The biggest trouble spot on Saturday will be across the Deep South into the Lower Mississippi Valley, where a cold front will stubbornly remain in place. Occasional showers and thunderstorms can be expected from Arkansas to Georgia and northern Florida. In between, expect high humidity with breaks of sunshine.

Another disturbance moving through the Upper Midwest and Rockies will bring a few showers and thunderstorms to Idaho, Montana, as well as western South Dakota and western Nebraska. While widespread severe thunderstorms aren’t expected, a few storms with big hailstones are still possible.

Outside of a few showers across the Great Lakes and northern New England, the remainder of the country will enjoy oodles of sunshine.

The coolest high temperatures will be in the upper 60s to lower 70s across northern New England, while much of the West Coast, Northern states, and Great Lakes will find the mercury reaching the upper 70s and lower 80s. From interior California to the Rockies, and from the Front Range to the Eastern Seaboard, summer-like middle 80s can be expected. The warmest readings on Saturday will be found in the Desert Southwest, Texas and Florida, where 90s will be common.

Sunday

When Dad wakes up Sunday morning, it will officially be summer, as the solstice occurs at 4:24 a.m. EDT. Father’s Day will feature plenty of summertime thunderstorms along a storm system moving across the Plains into the Mississippi Valley. These storms, which could be locally severe, will impact areas from Illinois to Alabama, as well as most of the Dakotas.

Meanwhile, dads in Florida will have to contend with typical daily thunderstorms, especially along the southern half of the peninsula. These brief downpours could leave outdoor Father’s Day plans a little drenched.

Northern New England will once again be an area to watch, as a few thunderstorms could dot the White and Green mountains. Otherwise, the rest of the Eastern Seaboard, the Great Lakes, Southwest and West Coast will see perfect weather for the first day of summer.

Cool 60s will be found across the Dakotas, with 70s and lower 80s occupying the northern tier from Montana to New England. Upper 80s and lower 90s will surge northward along the West and East Coasts, as well as in the central Plains and Tennessee Valley. Highs in the middle 90s will return to the Carolinas and Florida on Sunday, while dads from Arizona to Texas will enjoy air conditioning with highs near the triple-digit mark.