During May, D2-D4 drought conditions develop in North Dakota and expand by 3-7% in South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The weeklies forecast for May indicate each state in the Great Plains is generally drier than normal with best chance of thundershowers later in the month when the pattern turns warmer than normal.

As the upper trough deepens in the East next week, a compensating upper ridge crests over Southwest Canada. Copious mid-to-high-level mountain snow melts with peak warming early next week. Serious flooding is possible in this scenario!

According to NOAA, aerial coverage of global marine heatwaves (MHW) is 27%. The forecast for aerial coverage from early this year, valid for March, was 23%. Consequently, MHW presence is over-achieving. NOAA is forecasting MHW aerial coverage to increase to 40% later this year, in part due to El Nino.

When the NAWH and Mediterranean Sea MHW were present during 7 of the past 10 meteorological summer seasons, the influence of the oceanic regime on the prevailing weather pattern across Europe is an amplified high-pressure ridge centered on France and Germany.

The Climate Impact Company month 1-4 ahead climate outlook is updated. There are some changes from the earlier issued summer 2026 outlook and forecast confidence has increased as predictors are increasingly clear. High impact climate is likely and will affect public safety and market interests. Most prominent is the hot climate forecast for summertime across the West and Northwest U.S. with record heat possible the first half of summer in the Northwest and possibly late summer in California.