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With the extended periods of rain we experienced earlier this month past us, for now, and the long stretch of pleasant weather we have experienced during the past week or so, it's natural to start to look ahead to the summer months.
Monday is Memorial Day, which has become one of the markers for the start of the season. But whether that's when summer starts for you, or you wait until Thursday (which will be the beginning of meteorological summer) or hold off until 10:58 a.m. on June 21 (that's the start of astrological summer), you already have started to wonder just what the weather will look like this year.
According to the National Weather Service, our region can expect to see near normal to above normal temperatures this year, with a slight probability of greater precipitation than average. That's about the same forecast issued by the Weather Channel, which is calling for near average temperatures for June, below average temperatures for July and above average temperatures for August.
As for rain, the Weather Channel predicts our region will see totals that are right around average.
AccuWeather, the State College, Pa.-based forecasting service, is predicting basically the same thing, but adds that our Tri-State Area can expect to see a moderate risk for severe weather this summer, and the demand for cooling will be in line with the 30-year historical averages. That information is important -- AccuWeather says that 20 people in the United States die from lightning strikes each year, and more than 70 percent of lightning-related deaths between 2006 and 2019 have happened in June, July and August.
And, if you are wondering what the average temperature for our region is, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh reports that the 30-year means (which is what is considered to be normal) are 69.4 degrees for June, 73.2 degrees for July and 71.8 degrees for August. As for rain, the 30-year means are 4.12 inches for June, 4.26 inches for July and 3.52 inches for August.
So, the professionals all seem to be in agreement, which raises questions about what those time-honored prognosticators at the almanacs see in our future.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, it will be warm this summer. We are, however, on the edge when it comes to rain, with most of our region falling in the warm and wet forecast zone and a portion finding itself in the warm and dry zone.
The Farmers' Almanac is close to agreeing with that forecast, placing the Tri-State Area in the warm-to-hot-and-soggy zone.
Both publications, remember, have been around for a long time. Old Farmer's has been making predictions about the weather since 1792, while Farmers' has been around since 1818. And, they were both pretty accurate in predicting the rain we saw earlier this month.
Old Farmer's is calling for a rainy period to start June, followed by a sunny and cool period before thunderstorms and warmer temperatures arrive in the middle of the month. The forecast for June 19-26 is calling for hot temperatures and thunderstorms. Farmers' is making just about the same prediction.
For July, Old Farmer's is calling for storms through July 9, followed by sunny and hot temperatures, followed by a hot period before storms return for the later part of the month. Farmers' says we can expect hot weather in the early part of the month, with storms expected for the remainder of the month.
They do differ on the Fourth of July Forecast. Old Farmer's is calling for thunderstorms and cool, while Farmers' is predicting a hot and dry holiday.
When we look at August, Old Farmer's is predicting sunny and warm weather with storms possible for just about the entire month, while Farmers' report we can expect some storms, with hazy, hot and humid weather expected Aug. 12-15.
And, looking all the way to Labor Day, both almanacs seem to agree we can expect to see mild temperatures and fair weather.
But by then, we will be ready for the return of fall which, depending on how you look at it, we begin on Sept. 1, on Labor Day (Sept. 4) or at 2:50 a.m. on Sept. 23.
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One of the more anticipated rituals of spring is attending the Associated Press Media Editors Meeting and Awards Banquet. Held this year at the Villa Milano Banquet and Conference Center in Columbus, the annual event offers a chance to catch up with some old friends and colleagues from across the state and learn the order of placement in the annual contest.
Members of the Herald-Star staff won seven awards this year -- staff writer Linda Harris earned a third-place award in the best news writer category, and Sports Editor Andrew Grimm was second in the best sports columnist category and third in best sports writer. Staff members received second place in community service for "Progress 2022;" second place in sports enterprise for "Football Xtra;" and third for best special sports section for "Prep Football 2022."
The seventh award -- third place in best editorial writer -- went to me.
Congratulations to each of our staff members for work well done.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)