Summer's temperatures will be hot in the East and relatively cool in the Plains and Midwest, according to an updated outlook released Thursday by The Weather Company, an IBM Business.

Computer model forecast guidance favors the contrast in relatively cool versus warm temperatures from the nation's midsection to the East Coast in the months spanning June through August. It also indicates that the Pacific Northwest has the highest odds of above-average temperatures along the West Coast.

"Soil moisture analogs are strongly suggesting a cool summer across the northern and central Plains as well," said Dr. Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at The Weather Company.

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High levels of soil moisture, like we are seeing right now in the central states, can have a cooling effect on temperatures near the Earth's surface.

The influence of a second-year El Niño on the atmosphere also played a role in the creation of the summer forecast.

Keep in mind that these outlooks are overall trends over a three-month period from June through August. An individual cold front or an upper ridge of high pressure can lead to a periods of colder or warmer weather that buck the overall three-month trend.

Here's a breakdown of how the forecast evolves each month from June through August.

June

June is forecast to have hot temperatures from the Southeast into the mid-Atlantic. There are indications the heat will begin to build in those regions as we head through the second half of May.

Parts of the Pacific Northwest, particularly western Washington, could also have above-average temperatures.

Cooler-than-average temperatures are most likely from the northern Plains and upper Midwest to the Desert Southwest.

July

July is typically the hottest month of the year for many parts of the United States, including the Northeast, where above-average temperatures are forecast in this summer outlook.

The Pacific Northwest warmth is expected to expand farther southward to include parts of western Nevada and Northern California.

Below-average temperatures are favored to grow across a larger swath of the northern and central Plains and upper Midwest.

August

Summer's final month could bring heat and humidity to much of the East Coast.

Meanwhile, the relatively cool summer trend may continue in the Plains and Midwest.