The temperatures residents of the Tri-State Area had a chance to experience on Monday and Tuesday are a sure sign of what we can expect to see during the next several months.

Those numbers that hovered right around 90 served as reminders that summer is almost here.

That’s something to think about as we prepare to commemorate Memorial Day.

Depending on how you look at it, Memorial Day is an important marker for the start of the summer season. But whether you believe summer starts Monday, or one week from Monday — June 1 — which is when meteorological summer will begin — or stick with 4:24 a.m. on June 21 — which marks the beginning of astrological summer — many of us already have started to wonder what the weather will look like this year.

According to the National Weather Service and its Climate Prediction Center, our region is leaning toward higher-than-normal temperatures through June, July and August, with an equal chance of near normal precipitation.

That’s about the same forecast being offered by Accuweather. The State College, Pa.-based private forecasting company takes its forecast further, calling for hot and humid weather, with severe storms likely in June and July. That pattern is expected to change in August — with fewer storms and less rain, but higher temperatures.

Our area is part of a region that can expect a moderate risk of derechos, Accuweather said, adding we are facing some risk of flooding during the summer months.

Disagreeing is the Weather Channel, which says indications are pointing to the Tri-State Area leaning toward below average temperatures and above average precipitation. Breaking it down a little more, the Weather Channel predicts temperatures will be above average in June and below average in July and August.

All of that leads to another interesting question — what do the almanacs have to say about the coming summer season?

There’s more disagreement.

Old Famer’s Almanac, which has been offering up forecasts since 1792, says our region can expect a hot and dry summer, while Farmers’ Almanac, which has only been around since 1818, says our region can expect humid and rainy conditions.

Old Farmer’s is predicting above average temperatures and precipitation in June, above average temperatures and below average precipitation in July and below average temperatures and precipitation in August. Farmers’, meanwhile, is calling for hot, humid and wet weather in June, mainly warm and dry weather in July and warm and fairly dry weather in August.

Both almanacs agree that the Fourth of July will see sunny skies and hot temperatures, and, looking all the way to Labor Day, both are calling for sunny skies with scattered showers.

That’s important as well, because, depending on how you look at it, fall will arrive on Sept. 1, on Labor Day (which falls on Sept. 7) or at 8:04 p.m. Sept. 22.

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It’s easy to forget the meaning of Memorial Day until you take a moment to remember that 656,000 members of the United States military services have lost their lives in conflict. That’s according to WalletHub and its annual listing of Memorial Day numbers. There are 13.8 million living wartime veterans, the Washington, D.C.-based personal financial website reports.

Most Americans — 65 percent — will choose to have a cookout on Monday, and it will come at an average cost of $32.90 (that’s up by 5 percent over last year.) The day will mark the unofficial start of hot dog season — the report says there will be 818 hot dogs eaten every second between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That works out to 7 billion hot dogs.

We’ll also spend $2.1 billion on meat.

And, while the price of gasoline has risen dramatically during the past year, AAA predicts 45 million Americans will travel as least 50 miles from home during the holiday period –an increase from the 44.8 million who traveled for the holiday in 2025. Of that number, 39.1 million people will travel by car, while 3.7 million people will fly.

Those who are grilling out or enjoying a party this weekend need to be careful — WalletHub reports that 25 percent more home cooking fires happen on Memorial Day than on an average day. And, the weekend is the second largest for beer sales, falling in behind the Fourth of July and ahead of Labor Day.

That means it should come as no surprise that 39 percent of all traffic fatalities that occur over the Memorial Day holiday are alcohol related. It’s projected that there will be 443 fatalities in traffic accidents during the weekend, and that 159 lives could be saved during the weekend if everyone would just wear a seatbelt.

Those are numbers to think about this weekend.

(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is senior writer for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)