Sunshine and high temperatures in the 80s may be in the forecast for the near future, but hot and dry weather may not be a trend for the entire summer. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker tells KNIA/KRLS News that the official outlook for the summer months of June, July and August calls for cooler-than-normal temperatures and more precipitation than usual. Hillaker explains that the summer outlook has a lot to do with the weather from this winter and spring.

“That’s largely based on the fact that we have unusually high amounts of soil moisture from here and points southward,” says Hillaker, “and very wet soils tend to result in a little bit higher humidity, which results in more clouds and more chances for rainfall. And at this time of the year, more clouds generally means lower temperatures.”

Hillaker was quick to add, though, that the summer outlook is not the only possibility. He adds that a “la nina” weather system appears to be following up this winter’s “el nino” weather pattern, in which case he says the state could, in fact, be in store for a hot and slightly drier-than-normal summer.