May Outlook: Who Gets Early Summer vs. Hanging Onto Spring?

Updated May Outlook Just Released

We’ll likely be putting thoughts of snow and cold in the rear-view mirror a little earlier this year across a large expanse of the U.S.

The latest outlook from The Weather Company and AG2 shows that much of the country will be warm and dry, but not everywhere. Here's a deeper look:

Temperature Outlook

• Warmer Northern Rockies, Plains: Many Rockies snow resorts pick up their last snows of the season in May, but this year it's looking like a warm and early end to the ski season.

• Warmer East, Too: Much of the Southeast and Ohio Valley will see slightly above-average temperatures.

• Early Summer Chill? You might need the microscope for this one, but parts of Southern California may see temperatures slightly below average.

• Southwest Forecast Now Cooler: If there’s one change in this outlook that stands apart, it is the Four Corners region. That region is expected to be much closer to average compared to the outlook released earlier in April.

(MORE: Further beef up your forecast with our detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown for the next 8 days – only available on our Premium Pro experience.)

Precipitation Outlook

• Drier In The Northwest: The driest part of the country is likely to be in parts of Washington, Oregon and California. This could cause the ongoing moderate drought in Washington state to persist or even develop further.

• Everything Is Wetter In Texas This May: One of the areas for enhanced precipitation in this outlook is across the Southern Plains. Other areas include the Southeast Coast and near the Canadian border.

• Noticeable Changes: The outlook for the Northwest is considerably drier than forecast before, while the Southern Plains are much wetter than before.

(MORE: For even more granular weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute details forecast in our Premium Pro experience.)

Jonathan Belles has been a graphics meteorologist and writer for weather.com for nearly 9 years and also assists in the production of videos for The Weather Channel en español. His favorite weather is tropical weather, but also enjoys covering high-impact weather and news stories and winter storms. He's a two-time graduate of Florida State University and a proud graduate of St. Petersburg College.