How hot will the Oklahoma summer get this year? AccuWeather releases 2024 summer forecast

While Oklahomans are currently being drenched with spring storms, the heat of the summer is coming.

Summer starts on June 1 or June 20, depending on whether you ask a meteorologist or an astronomer, but either way AccuWeather is predicting a hot summer for most of the contiguous United States.

Here's what you should know about how Oklahoma temperatures will fare this summer.

2024 Oklahoma Summer forecast: Above average temperatures expected

AccuWeather is predicting above average temperatures for much of the United States this summer.
AccuWeather is predicting above average temperatures for much of the United States this summer.

According to AccuWeather, much of Oklahoma can expect to see temperatures two to three degrees higher than historical averages.

Southeast Oklahoma may not see as high of a departure from average temperatures.

But the Oklahoma panhandle could see some of the hottest temperatures, especially when it comes to August and showers and thunderstorms will likely provide a break from the heat in June and July.

2024 US Summer forecast: What states will see the most heat?

The areas expected to see the highest temperature departures from historical averages include over the Great Lakes, the Upper Midwest and the southwest Plains.

Northeast cities like New York and Boston could see twice to three or four times as many 90-degree days this summer as compared to 2023.

"Energy demand is expected to be higher compared to average," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. "Air conditioners and other cooling devices will be in high demand."

Meanwhile, showers and thunderstorms will help curb the heat in Gulf Coast states after a dry 2023 boosted temperatures and left drought to expand.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: AccuWeather 2024 summer forecast: How hot will Oklahoma be this summer