Coming off of a winter that was colder than normal in a number of regions, WSI Corp. said it expects that trend to continue from April-June in the central and southern Plains and the Southeast, while warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected from the Rockies westward, along with the northern Plains, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast.

In its monthly breakdown, the Billerica, MA-based weather forecaster said both April and May are expected to follow those trends with the coolest temperatures, relative to normal, in the southern Plains in April and along the Gulf Coast in May. The Northeast is expected to have the largest positive temperature anomalies in April while May is expected to put the Pacific Northwest in the hot spot.

WSI projects June will have cooler-than-normal temperatures in the northern and central Plains, Great Lakes, and Northeast, with the coolest temperatures experienced in the Great Lakes states. Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected in the western third of the country, along with the southern Plains and the Southeast.

“We expect the recent warm temperatures in the Northeast to continue in April, while [the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) of the National Weather Service] is forecasting equal chances of above- or below-normal,” said WSI seasonal forecaster Dr. Todd Crawford. “We also expect the April-June period to be cooler-than-normal in the central Plains, while CPC is forecasting warmer-than-normal temperatures in that region.”

As for the forecast’s impact on the energy industry, WSI said there may be “modest boosts” to cooling demand during mid- to late-May as a result of above-normal temperatures in large sections of the country. The company noted that the key word is modest, since electric load is traditionally very low during that period.

“Barring unexpected heat waves or cold spells, outages tend to be among the primary price drivers during April and early May,” WSI said. “The forecast has bearish implications for the Midwest and Northeast during June, when temperatures and, therefore, cooling demand are expected to be below normal.”

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